Hey guys,
I don’t know how valuable my two cents will be since I am not currently in the classroom, but I’m coming up against some of these issues as I finalize a long-term inquiry module that I am working on. I keep thinking about that video that Todd gave us to watch from Dr. Bain. One part keeps playing over and over in my mind when a student walked up to Dr. Bain after what Dr. Bain thought was a great lecture and asked, “Who cares?” How do I get my students to care? I am really struggling in my History 3220 class right now because I don’t see any relevance to my life in what I am studying about the Middle Ages. I keep trying to make connections to me now but that is not what is valued during the lecture. There are so many things I want to say, but I get the feeling that is not what I am there for; I am there to shut up, take notes and feel very foolish about my ignorance. Although I am sure that is not the goal of the professor, that’s how I feel. I wonder how many times during my clinical teaching experiences my students got the same impression from me; shut up, sit down and learn, and oh yeah, you have to learn it my way. I think the most important thing I can do is give my students a safe environment in which to question and then show how valuable their questions are. I saw this really cool activity at NSTA last year where the teacher had students on a worksheet answer some basic questions about a topic that was considered a common misconception, then we exchanged papers without knowing who had answered the questions. We got to see how others were thinking about the topic without putting our egos on the line and it generated a lot of discussion without putting anyone on the spot.
Another thing I would like to try in the classroom is the test procedure I learned about also at NSTA. Give the students an exam, record their scores, then let them take it again in a group setting where they get to discuss answers within a peer group (similar to how scientists actually problem solve), justifying any changes made and any change in thought. Again, I think it would provide a buffer to the ego that then allows students to pursue wonder without fear; fear of not feeling like s/he can be successful because of low test scores. If you think about it, school and the DMV are about the only places that require tests for progression (and with all the questionable drivers on the roads these days, I’m not sure how effective the DMV is at testing). Yet we are being tested everyday; how effective am I as a mother, can I communicate my concerns about city council issues, could I have handled that spat with my husband better, how can I reduce our family’s cost so we can take that vacation to Hawaii next year, etc.
etc. etc. It’s just that those kinds of test don’t come with a letter grade and thus not as much pressure to perform at a certain level determined by someone else. With the above testing method, I wonder if the students would be able to work together to solve the problems, thus learning from each other and simulating a real world experience. Just some thoughts.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Response to James and Additional Ideas and Questions
James,
I think your ability and willingness to look at this data and to think about how to improve indicates qualities of a concerned and effective teacher. I think we are sometimes surprised with what we find when we dig a little deeper into what we are curious about, I know I am with my own teaching. I think my experiences at the charter schools have in some ways mirrored what you describe in your post. In my first week last year with the Native American students I assigned take home assignments whereby they would interview community and family members to investigate their community’s views on science. I had visions of us synthesizing the results of the community survey and comparing it to tenets of the nature of science to see whether or not the views aligned. I saw it as a way to initiate discussion about the Nature of Science early in the school year and to set the stage for continually focusing on NOS throughout the remainder of the year. I was disappointed when none of the students returned any of the surveys. I extended the deadlines and made sure to explain what ideas I had for using the surveys, but still received none. Finally after a month of extending deadlines, I had the students interview two people each in the school during class time. This experience and many others since have led me to minimize the work that is assigned outside of class for these students. I hope this isn’t lower the bar too low. I want these students to succeed and want to hold them accountable; in my own experience I have been better able to do this if I plan to have them complete their assignments/activities in the classroom. For me, this doesn’t completely violate my philosophy of teaching in that the assignments I want them to do at home are not ones that would have them completing drill and practice problems, but would be ones that support where we are going in the classroom. In methods classes, I have found that I can expect much much more outside of class, but with these students this is not the case or at least has not been in the way that I have approached it. I don’t see this as giving in, but as putting them into the position so that they can succeed. I continually give them feedback on the work they do in class (if I don’t, they won’t do it either) and from time to time they test me by trying to just do something even if it is unrelated to the assignment to see if I am paying attention. I continue to pull the cart up the hill with these students but every so often I am elated with their response. I see success with these students as the ultimate victory, not because I think any less of their abilities, but probably more because I see the disconnect between my ideas of schooling and a culture that is not aligned with my vision (which may/is jaded by my whiteness and mainstream experiences). I don’t know if the idea of limiting assignments to the classroom is the right answer and I would certainly say it isn’t for all groups, but for this one I am pleased that it at least keeps me from having to fail them and slam the door before they every come in to learn. I would love to hear others thoughts about this and what you might do/try differently.
I think your ability and willingness to look at this data and to think about how to improve indicates qualities of a concerned and effective teacher. I think we are sometimes surprised with what we find when we dig a little deeper into what we are curious about, I know I am with my own teaching. I think my experiences at the charter schools have in some ways mirrored what you describe in your post. In my first week last year with the Native American students I assigned take home assignments whereby they would interview community and family members to investigate their community’s views on science. I had visions of us synthesizing the results of the community survey and comparing it to tenets of the nature of science to see whether or not the views aligned. I saw it as a way to initiate discussion about the Nature of Science early in the school year and to set the stage for continually focusing on NOS throughout the remainder of the year. I was disappointed when none of the students returned any of the surveys. I extended the deadlines and made sure to explain what ideas I had for using the surveys, but still received none. Finally after a month of extending deadlines, I had the students interview two people each in the school during class time. This experience and many others since have led me to minimize the work that is assigned outside of class for these students. I hope this isn’t lower the bar too low. I want these students to succeed and want to hold them accountable; in my own experience I have been better able to do this if I plan to have them complete their assignments/activities in the classroom. For me, this doesn’t completely violate my philosophy of teaching in that the assignments I want them to do at home are not ones that would have them completing drill and practice problems, but would be ones that support where we are going in the classroom. In methods classes, I have found that I can expect much much more outside of class, but with these students this is not the case or at least has not been in the way that I have approached it. I don’t see this as giving in, but as putting them into the position so that they can succeed. I continually give them feedback on the work they do in class (if I don’t, they won’t do it either) and from time to time they test me by trying to just do something even if it is unrelated to the assignment to see if I am paying attention. I continue to pull the cart up the hill with these students but every so often I am elated with their response. I see success with these students as the ultimate victory, not because I think any less of their abilities, but probably more because I see the disconnect between my ideas of schooling and a culture that is not aligned with my vision (which may/is jaded by my whiteness and mainstream experiences). I don’t know if the idea of limiting assignments to the classroom is the right answer and I would certainly say it isn’t for all groups, but for this one I am pleased that it at least keeps me from having to fail them and slam the door before they every come in to learn. I would love to hear others thoughts about this and what you might do/try differently.
Post from James on 10-16-2007
I gave a multiple choice test today and the results were somewhat pathetic. The test wasn’t much different in format than the CRT that they will take at the end of the year, on which my teaching will be evaluated. I’m not sure what else I can do when so many students do not value their education and take it seriously.
I ran through my records to analyze a little bit what is going on. About 37% of my students are not passing – that is up from last year, but still pathetic I think. Many of them miss a lot of days and make no effort at all to make the work up. I am here every day after school but could count on two hands the number of students that have taken advantage of my willingness to help them. No matter how hard I try I cannot get the Native American students interested enough to put forth even a minimal effort. Of those not passing, 43% are Native American. Out of all of my students with origin other than Caucasian, only about 21% are passing – and only one of these is a full blood Native American. The ones that are passing for the most part include other nationalities such as Tongan or Mexican. Any ideas from anyone would be appreciated. Thanks - James
Post from Tom on 10-18-2007
- I am feeling a lot of what James is. My science classes seem to be well engaged but when I test the algebra classes the average is down in the forties and fifties. I honestly don't know what to tell you, with my algebra class we simply reworked the problems and retook the tests. This process went on for over two weeks but we did finally get the class average around 75 percent. Same as James, some students just seem to be extremely different to motivate. On the other end of the spectrum, I wanted to share a great experience from physics. We were going over a practice test the students had done on UTIPs and the entire class got it wrong. I could tell by the way they were acting that they were not going to accept the correct answer just because I said it was right. The question was asking a problem about elevators so I promptly invited them all across town to the district office to take a ride in the elevator. The kids loved it, I had one of them get a set of bathroom scales from their home on the way down and we went up and down over and over (with the superintendent's office just out side mind
Friday, October 5, 2007
Tom's Thoughts about Floating Physics
As Todd has said last night we had a physics night and got together to float boats that the students had made. We are going over forces and while we were talking about the different kinds of forces I brought up boyancy force.
I actually don't think this is in the core but saw it as a chance to apply our book studies to the real world and to have some fun. The students had to calculate the amount of water they would need to displace to float while they designed it. I was quite pleased with the way it turned out. While talking to students and people in the comunity you could tell it was being talked about, and quite a few spectators showed up simply to watch. I also believe it can help get people exited about physics class, I have had all kinds of students asking if I am doing the same sort of things next year.
I actually don't think this is in the core but saw it as a chance to apply our book studies to the real world and to have some fun. The students had to calculate the amount of water they would need to displace to float while they designed it. I was quite pleased with the way it turned out. While talking to students and people in the comunity you could tell it was being talked about, and quite a few spectators showed up simply to watch. I also believe it can help get people exited about physics class, I have had all kinds of students asking if I am doing the same sort of things next year.
Dr. Bain video
Wow, I just finished watching the Dr. Bain video that Todd sent the link for. It has really changed my own paradigm about what and why I am teaching. It has made me think that maybe there is a way to teach balancing equations in Chemistry in a meaningful way. Thanks for the link Todd.
Physics in the Pool
I was able to stop by the pool last night after class to observe Tom's students as they tried to float the boats they created. My understanding was that they were studying buoyancy and where asked to use what they learned to create a boat that would float. What I can say from my observation was that students where into what they were doing. I witnessed Tom in an environment with his students where they were doing something creative and novel and really enjoying themselves. My own experiences like these with students taught me that bonds, trust, and relationships were often born or strengthened when I went out of my way like this to make learning meaningful and to engage students beyond the boundaries of the classroom walls.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Post From James 10-4-2007
Todd, I am happy to hear of the successes Tom is having. I have also found it extremely difficult to engage all of my students and I think that this is a difficulty for all teachers; especially new teachers like us, but also for seasoned teachers. Unfortunately some students have no desire to learn and their attitude is so bad that you keep trying, but see little success. The interesting thing about it is that when the year is over some of these kids like me the best so maybe it was frustrating at the time, but it really did mean something in the end.
During my first hour on B day I have a couple of students who I am constantly just trying to keep awake, I am convinced that one is into drugs and the other I’m not sure, but he says that he is working late at night. I have some others that no matter what I do I can’t get them to do anything, even the activities that are very stimulating for the majority of students. I struggle a lot with some classes because I have a few students who could get through college classes right now and a lot who are resource students. My department head told me yesterday that 1/3 of all of the students that I get are at a 6th or 7th grade reading level – and from experience I can also say that many are math deficient. In my A3 class I have so many resource and study skills students – and others who don’t know how or want to work – that it is difficult to keep the class engaged when some students can finish in 20 minutes and many others it takes an hour. My best solution is to pair up the resource kids as much as I can with the really sharp ones and vigilantly try to have them tutor those that struggle when I can’t tutor them. Sometimes it works really well if you can find the right combinations of kids, other times the tutoring doesn’t help much.
Later, James
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Observation of Tom's Class
All-I was able to observe Tom today (10-3-2007). I was excited about what I saw and wanted to share a summary of this observation with all, first because I am very excited about what Tom is doing and second to allow you to offer him insight or suggestions if you have any after reading about what he did. The following is the summary I wrote to his principal:
When I observed Tom’s class today, the objective of the class was to have students identify factors that impact the period of a pendulum. Tom allowed students to investigate this by having them in the gym where he had a bowling ball hanging from the ceiling. He initially had students discuss what they thought impacted the period and then had the whole class testing out the ideas that they had with the pendulum. I though this was an excellent opportunity to allow students to build their own understanding of periods of pendulums. When students asked Tom if there ideas was “right” he continually had them check their ideas again to convince themselves. I observed students engaged in critical discussion of about their own ideas (whether the weight of the bowling ball or the length of the string mattered). In the end I observed two students who had developed an equation to describe the pendulum period. These students, after developing the equation, went about testing it. When the class went back to the classroom, a few students dug into their books to check to see if their ideas were comparable to what was in the text. One student was jumping up and down saying “we got it”. Tom then discussed the students’ findings with them until the class ended.
The things we discussed, which Tom shared before the observation was a concern for engaging all students. I noticed and Tom brought this up in our discussion after the observation, that there were times in the class when not all students were engaged. We discussed ways to make sure that all students are involved such as having students work in groups to develop ideas and ways to test them, sharing them with him before trying the ideas, and having groups present their findings at the end. We also discussed assessments such as rubrics that could be used to assess the students (perhaps also thinking of having them use the rubric to assess themselves). In the end, I was excited to see what Tom is doing with the students and do think that the instruction I observed today was aligned with the National Science Education Standards and not only got at the standards of the Utah Core Curriculum, but perhaps as critical got at the following Core ILO’s:
- Use science process and thinking skills.
- Manifest science interests and attitudes.
- Understand important science concepts and principles.
- Communicate effectively using science language and reasoning.
- Understand the nature of science.
I am pleased with what I observed today and with our identification of areas that he can continue to work on (keeping all students engaged and developing assessments that align with his instruction and objectives for students). I just wanted to provide both of you with this update and reflections from my observations and to remind you to contact me at anytime for whatever you see might be needed to continually support Tom. I am appreciative of the leadership you are providing for Tom as well as your empowering him to enact instruction in the way that he believes will lead to students learning.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Post from Tom on 9-27
In her post Deb brought up the idea of having a safe enough environment for students to get into full participation, I am finding that this is not the easiest thing to accomplish. I feel like I am always trying to help students dare to voice their opinions or questions. I did have a good experience yesterday in physics, we had gone over newtons first law and I was hoping they could derive the second. I had them hanging weights (variety of
force) of the table to accelerate a car at different rates. The entire
class was engaged and trying to find out how to better their experiment. I
the end they plotted their data and did come up with F=ma while I probed them with questions. Honestly, I think they were a bit weirded out, I heard one of the girls comment to her neighbor, "wow, he really gets excited about this doesn't he" But that's ok, I was exited.
force) of the table to accelerate a car at different rates. The entire
class was engaged and trying to find out how to better their experiment. I
the end they plotted their data and did come up with F=ma while I probed them with questions. Honestly, I think they were a bit weirded out, I heard one of the girls comment to her neighbor, "wow, he really gets excited about this doesn't he" But that's ok, I was exited.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Post from Tom on 9-21-2007
Yesterday I spent the day at Gunison high school observing some of their science and math classes. Boy I tell you what, their classes sure are different than mine. I don't know how they can get their classes to be so stinking quiet. I do want more class participation than they have though.
I am at a total loss on how to cover the material, the teachers I observe give the kids facts to learn and memories and give them cookbook labs to trick the students into thinking they are doing science, but when they get back in the class the teacher once again regurgitates everything they should have learned. I have been trying my best to help the students go though the same thought process as the scientists who generated the things we know today. the problem is that the students, parents and administrators think that I am covering way to much material. No, my students will probably never be tested on the significance of Rutherford's gold foil experiment, but can they honestly understand the evolution of atomic theory without making them think through his findings on their own.
I am at a total loss on how to cover the material, the teachers I observe give the kids facts to learn and memories and give them cookbook labs to trick the students into thinking they are doing science, but when they get back in the class the teacher once again regurgitates everything they should have learned. I have been trying my best to help the students go though the same thought process as the scientists who generated the things we know today. the problem is that the students, parents and administrators think that I am covering way to much material. No, my students will probably never be tested on the significance of Rutherford's gold foil experiment, but can they honestly understand the evolution of atomic theory without making them think through his findings on their own.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Big Bang Theory
James,
Wow, the big bang theory is pretty advanced and most students will only have heard the word. A lot of them will be asking, "how do scientist know the universe started with a bang?" and "what does the theory have to do with me?" I think the trick is getting them to think about it in a novel way. Did you lay down any background on the topic before you gave them the survey? Because the Big Bang is the most popular, none of the student probably have heard of any opposing theories. Maybe you could introduce them to some of these. I just did a quick search and found a pretty simplistic site that gives some basic info about some of the other theories. The site is http://www.big-bang-theory.com/ Check it out and see if there is anything in there that you could use to get a discussion going about the opposing theories. One of the quotes I like from the site is found in the section titled "Big Bang Theory - The Only Plausible Theory?"
One scientist writes:
Is the standard Big Bang theory the only model consistent with these evidences? No, it's just the most popular one. Internationally renown Astrophysicist George F. R. Ellis explains: "People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations….For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations….You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that."4
I think this sums up what you are trying to teach your students: to think critically about what they hear, not just blindly accept it. Perhaps an activity where one half of the class researches the Big Bang theory and the other half researches the opposition, followed by a debate might be interesting. You could engaged the students by offering a prize to whichever side won a vote at the end. I don't know how much time you have planned for this activity, but it sounds like it would be fun. Good luck!
Wow, the big bang theory is pretty advanced and most students will only have heard the word. A lot of them will be asking, "how do scientist know the universe started with a bang?" and "what does the theory have to do with me?" I think the trick is getting them to think about it in a novel way. Did you lay down any background on the topic before you gave them the survey? Because the Big Bang is the most popular, none of the student probably have heard of any opposing theories. Maybe you could introduce them to some of these. I just did a quick search and found a pretty simplistic site that gives some basic info about some of the other theories. The site is http://www.big-bang-theory.com/ Check it out and see if there is anything in there that you could use to get a discussion going about the opposing theories. One of the quotes I like from the site is found in the section titled "Big Bang Theory - The Only Plausible Theory?"
One scientist writes:
Is the standard Big Bang theory the only model consistent with these evidences? No, it's just the most popular one. Internationally renown Astrophysicist George F. R. Ellis explains: "People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations….For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations….You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that."4
I think this sums up what you are trying to teach your students: to think critically about what they hear, not just blindly accept it. Perhaps an activity where one half of the class researches the Big Bang theory and the other half researches the opposition, followed by a debate might be interesting. You could engaged the students by offering a prize to whichever side won a vote at the end. I don't know how much time you have planned for this activity, but it sounds like it would be fun. Good luck!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A Post from James (Delving into Theories)
Todd, for my classes this week I have been handing out a survey on the big bang theory and trying desperately to get at the students attitudes and ideas concerning the theory. It has been interesting and rewarding but more difficult that it seems like it should be. I have some who have been willing to let me know how they really feel, but not enough. Many of my students do not enjoy learning about the theory because it doesn’t make sense to them according to their religion. On the other hand I also have a fair amount of students that accept the theory at face value because they think that smart people have figured it out enough. Somehow I wish that I could get my students to see the value in learning about theories instead of immediately discounting everything about them or blindly accepting them. At the same time I also wish that I could get them to tear them apart and ask the hard questions so that their learning can go to the next level. Anyway…. James
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tom's Post 9-7-2007
Wow, I feel like I should be getting on top of things by now but I feel more like I am just getting more burried as we go. I hope I havn't completely lost my students. I am amazed at the deficiancies that some of the students come into the classroom with. We started doing some problems dealling with calorimitry to get them ready to do it in the lab. To get them comfortable with the use of E=mcT I helped them crank some simple problems, then one relativly dificult one to push them. I ended up helping the class as a whole work through this one. By the time I was done I had filled up half the white board and the class was staring at me with glazed eyes. The problem didn't involve too complex of math, it was just that it involved alot of steps and they simply shut off. Right now I honestly feel that I am getting more confusing done than teaching.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Tom, I just wanted to refer you to a website that I learned about at one of my summer professional development classes that I took this summer for my endorsements. It is http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/teacher_resources/science/modelclassroomroot/index.html and that is a _ between the teacher and the resources. If you click on the "model classroom" link there is a list of subjects with a lot of great ideas for teaching most of the science areas. I have used ideas from the earth systems and chemistry links that are great.
One that I used this year was an inquiry lab for reviewing the scientific method. In the lab I bought four different types of toilet paper and the students had to figure out which type was the best. They had to figure out 3 expermints on their own and determine the parameters for what made toilet paper the best. Then they had to measure data for those experiments and show their data in graph form on the board, explaining their conclusions for the class. It took about an hour or so and it was amazing to see the creativity that the students came up with. Some added pencils or rulers to the paper to see how strong it was before it broke, others got it wet and measured the area that it soaked up to test absorbancy, and one group even tested it to see how well it could hold marbles when it was wet!, among other ideas. It was great fun and it came from the website - I only had to modify it a little bit to make it better for my classes. Good luck!
One that I used this year was an inquiry lab for reviewing the scientific method. In the lab I bought four different types of toilet paper and the students had to figure out which type was the best. They had to figure out 3 expermints on their own and determine the parameters for what made toilet paper the best. Then they had to measure data for those experiments and show their data in graph form on the board, explaining their conclusions for the class. It took about an hour or so and it was amazing to see the creativity that the students came up with. Some added pencils or rulers to the paper to see how strong it was before it broke, others got it wet and measured the area that it soaked up to test absorbancy, and one group even tested it to see how well it could hold marbles when it was wet!, among other ideas. It was great fun and it came from the website - I only had to modify it a little bit to make it better for my classes. Good luck!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Posting from Tom 8-30-2007
This has been a very learning week for me. I somethimes pitty the kids who are my students. I get what I think is a well planned out lesson ready for each class hour, but for some reason things don't quite ever go to well. My lessons never seem to take as long to present as I think they will so I end up wondering what to do at the end of class. I had quite the experience today, I was trying to show the difference between chemical and physical changes. I wanted to have some cool reaction ready for them so I came in early and started trying some stuff I'd heard of. when I started feeling naucase and dizzy I did some research and found out the fumes I was creating were toxic. So I moved on to the next little idea, potasium and water. It worked great the first time but the second time I tried it the potasium exploded and pieces flew all over. I caught a peice under one eye (yes it burned me decent) and another peice in the other eye. Needles to say I am now a big fan of safty glasses!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Hey Everyone,
I have started the new year observing in Jared Torgerson's class. I got to see how he starts the new year with all of his policies and procedures and a little "get to know you" activity. The student body had an assembly in the morning, so all the classes were shortened, but Mr. T was able to squeeze in a questionaire, explanation of the disclosure statement and play a short game where students got to tell a little about themselves. The first week is always a little hectic getting schedules squared away and making sure Chemistry doesn't have 40 kids registered in it (like his does). Fun, Fun, Fun. I'm sure glad I'm not a principal... Science teacher is going to be hard enough.
I have started the new year observing in Jared Torgerson's class. I got to see how he starts the new year with all of his policies and procedures and a little "get to know you" activity. The student body had an assembly in the morning, so all the classes were shortened, but Mr. T was able to squeeze in a questionaire, explanation of the disclosure statement and play a short game where students got to tell a little about themselves. The first week is always a little hectic getting schedules squared away and making sure Chemistry doesn't have 40 kids registered in it (like his does). Fun, Fun, Fun. I'm sure glad I'm not a principal... Science teacher is going to be hard enough.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Welcome
This blog was created to facilitate the discussion of issues occurring in the science classroom. Tom will be posting here weekly as he engages in his internship he is completing this year. For all other participants, please feel free to post here as often as you like and to comment on the posts that Tom makes. I am hopeful that this venue will provide support for each members professional growth (mine included). Welcome!
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