In-class Astronomy Misconceptions

I was very surprised with how little I understood about basic Astronomy. I thought the lesson today allowed me to realize how my misconceptions follow me.

A Social Constructivist Model of Teaching

I like the idea of a social constructivist model of teaching. The chinese proverb stated in the beginning of the article gives a nice explanation of how many students learn. "Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Involve me, and I understand." As a elementary school student, I can remember learning activities best when I was directly connected with the materials, so it only makes sense to strive for a classroom with as much student involvement as I can. I think that it is important for students to be provided with multiple resources when learning new materials. Multiple presentations of the same information can push students to a higher level of thinking. 

I also really like the six strategies for the use and application of knowledge. These six are:

1.  Teachers must consider students’ prior knowledge.
2.  Activities must encourage students to identify and use multiple resources.
3.  Activities must involve students in planning and carrying out investigations.
4.  Learned concepts and skills must be applied to new situations.
5.  Students should be allowed time for reflection.
6.  Teachers must help students take action to improve their own world.

I would like to use this list as a type of checklist for myself as a future teacher. I can look at it after a lesson and ask myself if I allowed time for all of these things to take place. I think that if I am able to do this then I will become a very successful social constructivist teacher. Overall, I thought this article explained how Science can be taught on many different levels very well. The social constructivist method of teaching allows students to synthesize information and hang on to that knowledge for a long time.

Theoretical Foundations for Constructivist Teaching

I have learned about Vygotsky and Piaget many times in my studies with Elementary Education. However, every time I read about them I take something new from it. When reading this article I really understood the importance of language and communication in the classroom. Constructivist teaching requires the teacher to be mediator and a support system while students learn through talking, questioning and exploring the content. I love the idea of teachers scaffolding students to find the correct answer rather than given them the correct answer. I think the best approach that I have observed and learned in a classroom is the "Think, Pair, Share" activity. Through these three simple steps a student is able to first think for themselves about a given topic. Next each student pairs up with another classmate to share thoughts and idea. This step is crucial because the students have a zone of proximal development between them. They are able to support their peers' knowledge by explaining new thoughts and ideas in a way that makes sense. It can be hard for a teacher to do this because many times the knowledge about the subject being taught has been in their bank of knowledge for so long that they can't even remember what it was like to not know the information. Having the students teach one another provides a fresh approach to teaching. Finally, in the end the students are able to share with the entire class their new findings with confidence because they have just had support in the conversations with their classmate. I think challenging students to think on their own rather than just focusing on the right answer is the most effective way of teaching and that is what the constructivist approach is all about.

Misconceptions Die Hard

After I read this article I was not surprised by the common misconceptions regarding concepts related to sinking/floating. I think that this, along with many other physics concepts, are a hard concept to grasp. It's things we see everyday; we know it happens, but we can't explain why it happens. As a teacher, it is my job to correct common misconceptions. It is a little frightening to think that I would need to teach these topics because, to be honest, I'm not sure I could explain why objects float on water in the with "complete understanding" (as stated in the article). With this being said, I was very interested in what the author's of this article had to say about how to improve or remove these misconceptions. I was not satisfied with the suggestion to choose better textbooks to teach from. I think that simply finding a better textbook is not going to solve the problem. What I do agree with is the idea to monitor students vocabulary closer and be quick to correct students during labs and class time. Immediate response between the teacher and the student is the key to keeping students on the correct track.

Line of Learning

1.22.2012

Line of Learning Questions:

1. How do elementary students learn science? 

Elementary students learn science by interacting with materials and becoming hands-on learners. These activities allow them to make connections, observations, and conclusions. They learn science by incorporating their knowledge about multiple subjects, such as mathematics and reading, and writing into the development of their creative thinking.

2. What classroom environments facilitate elementary students science learning? 

I believe that an environment that fosters student-centered learning; where the students needs come before the teacher. It is an environment that exposes children to different things and allows children to explore and test theories.

3. What should teachers know and be able to do to design and foster effective elementary science learning environments?

Teachers should know that students work best when working with hands-on materials. They must also have Science notebook where write their thoughts on the subject matter. This can provide the student with a place to freely express his or her opinion and also a place for a teacher to assess the ability levels of his or her students and cater to those individual needs. A teacher should also know that it is okay for students to not know the right answer, but should give the students the time and opportunity to solve problems.