Sunday, 13 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Constructivism in the science classroom
“What kind of teacher do I want to be?”
Certainly not the science teacher who will teach nomenclature, teaching parts of the body, diagrams with legends to memorize and assess students on their capacity to memorize nouns and names !
Thinking of Kerrie's lecture Module D about constructivism and authentic pedagogies and working on my own philosophy of teaching for ELPC Tutorial, it became evident that constructivism was the basis for research but also for teaching in science.
My passion for science came from its connection with life and the world: observing, asking the right questions, finding a way to answer them best, and finally adding my own little piece of knowledge in the big picture.
To keep their interest and enthusiasm high, science should be taught in a constructivist manner by teaching students how to follow a similar intellectual approach:
Explore: What are the important questions? Observe the world around you, read articles, think about your own experience, about previous lessons...
To keep their interest and enthusiasm high, science should be taught in a constructivist manner by teaching students how to follow a similar intellectual approach:
Explore: What are the important questions? Observe the world around you, read articles, think about your own experience, about previous lessons...
Construct: Design scientific experiments or projects (individual or collective), research articles in books, magazines, on Internet...
Communicate: Draw your conclusions, prepare written or oral reports, blogs, wikis...
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Comment on Mark Thompson's Ed Found post 1
Hi Mark,
I would like to comment on few points from your post:
- In your second paragraph (Will I be allowed to be the teacher I want to be?), I agree that Jane would be limited by the school and department of education's rules and regulation, which is true for every teacher. In the particular context of Jane, I would add that she is also limited by her knowledge of the community as well as the expectations of the students she is working with. Her students are from remote rural community and their culture, their motivation for schooling and the kind of education they need and expect can be very different from what a middle class inner city woman has experienced . In addition she can also be limited by the school resources and style.
- The second point is in response to your point 4: Am I ready to teach?In the context of Jane's story, she might have feel very confident after her high academic results and the success of her first practicum placements. She was in a good position for starting her career as a teacher, but was she ready for this environment? Jane's story points out the importance of the teaching environment and the need for teachers to be flexible and prepared for different environment.
- Finally,I would also like to comment on the problems of discipline in the classroom. In his article (Educational psychology in the inclusive classroom, chapter 12, pp 454) Krause discusses the studies from Louden (1985) on the influence of home or school on students disturbed behaviors. If home factors like high level of family stress or socio-economic disadvantage can results in behavioral problems at school, he also identify school-related factors like “inappropriate teacher expectation of students” or “instruction in irrelevant skills” as well as a “lack of instruction in critical skills”. Jane's difficulty to control her classroom could be explain by her lack of experience in rural environment which can lead to inappropriate expectations from both sides and a different view on what critical skills are needed.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
PPLE post 4: The front seat explosion
I really enjoy the lecture this week. I was always interested in the topic of "different learning style"
First, I was very impressed with Steve's reaction. It would have been natural to feel upset with the student reaction which could be perceive as a personal failure or the student's aggressiveness. Instead, Steve focused on trying to understand and analyze the student reaction. A good example to follow.
It made me think of 2 experiences I had in situations where I was "in charge": in the first one, I was mentoring a new technician in my science lab. She was very meticulous and was following protocols to the letter. It drove me crazy. I tried to explain to her that it was important to understand WHY you are doing this experiment and while some steps must be followed very precisely, others allowed more flexibility.
The second situation is with a 10 year old student from my french class. She is so stressed about doing her homework exactly the way the teacher asked that she can not think or do anything outside the instructions.
In both cases, I realize that their approaches resulted in very successful outcomes, but I felt very irritated about their behaviors. I see how exploring these models further will be essential to learn to accept and understand different styles, and consequently adapt our teaching to provide adequate education for all students.
My last point will be about the nature's learning pattern. I have been thinking about the path leading to my career as a teacher as climbing a hill: some parts are very steep, some parts easier. I like the metaphor of the bird jumping off the nest, but there is an idea of lack of control in the fall. I feel more secure climbing the hill, with more control over the steep parts and a choice of putting the effort to get to the next level.
PS: After 3 weeks of free fall, I was just starting to flap my wings and to build a new comfortable little nest at UC.....and I can already a new jump on the horizon: the beginning of the professional experience!
First, I was very impressed with Steve's reaction. It would have been natural to feel upset with the student reaction which could be perceive as a personal failure or the student's aggressiveness. Instead, Steve focused on trying to understand and analyze the student reaction. A good example to follow.
It made me think of 2 experiences I had in situations where I was "in charge": in the first one, I was mentoring a new technician in my science lab. She was very meticulous and was following protocols to the letter. It drove me crazy. I tried to explain to her that it was important to understand WHY you are doing this experiment and while some steps must be followed very precisely, others allowed more flexibility.
The second situation is with a 10 year old student from my french class. She is so stressed about doing her homework exactly the way the teacher asked that she can not think or do anything outside the instructions.
In both cases, I realize that their approaches resulted in very successful outcomes, but I felt very irritated about their behaviors. I see how exploring these models further will be essential to learn to accept and understand different styles, and consequently adapt our teaching to provide adequate education for all students.
My last point will be about the nature's learning pattern. I have been thinking about the path leading to my career as a teacher as climbing a hill: some parts are very steep, some parts easier. I like the metaphor of the bird jumping off the nest, but there is an idea of lack of control in the fall. I feel more secure climbing the hill, with more control over the steep parts and a choice of putting the effort to get to the next level.
PS: After 3 weeks of free fall, I was just starting to flap my wings and to build a new comfortable little nest at UC.....and I can already a new jump on the horizon: the beginning of the professional experience!
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
The Science Curriculum: Knowledge, Skills and Citizenship
In his study “What is Curriculum? Kieran Egan discusses the importance of the “What” (the subject content) and the “How” (the pedagogical content) as main components of the curriculum. But let's consider Lyn Yates' big picture question: “What kind of schooling is needed to be a worker and citizen in the coming century?
I would like to reflect on 2 of our provocations in the context of my KLA: science.
“What do students need from me?”.. and from my science class?
Is it to learn science facts and reasoning or to obtain a better understanding of the world and our environment?
“Do we teach students or subjects?”
Do I want my students to be knowledgeable in biology, or do I want them to acquire useful skills to prepare them for adult life as a better person and citizen?
In the National Curriculum Board 2009, there is a strong focus on the commitment to support all young Australians to become active and informed citizens.In a science context, consumers and citizens needs to evaluate scientific facts and make informed decisions and choices. We need to be scientifically literate and we need to develop scientifically literate students.
References:
Churchill, R 2011. Teaching, making a difference, John Willey and Sons, Australia, Ltd. Chapter 7, pp. 203.
Egan, K, 2003. What is curriculum? Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, vol. 1, no 1, pp. 9-16.
Yates, L 2009. From curriculum to pedagogy and back again: knowledge, the person and the changing world. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, vol. 17, no 1, pp. 17-28.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)