Monthly Archives: February 2018

Misconception Throwback with T-GEM

For my posting today, I’m going with a classic throwback to the beginning of the course: Seasons and the phases of the moon. Since there are so many student misconceptions around these topics (it’s true! I asked my students the other day just randomly to explain it to me and they fumbled around and couldn’t quite explain it accurately), the added element of the simulation may give them the impetus that they need in order to finally grasp them.
I could envision this being worked together into a lesson about orbits, since both simulations involve looking at orbits to understand the concepts:

Simulations:

(Freezeray.com is a resource that contains many different simplistic, yet easily interacted with, simulations. Try the bouncing ball one (http://freezeray.com/flashFiles/bouncingBall.htm)! It’s strangely relaxing to play around with, yet could also be highly useful for students to learn about potential and kinetic energy.)


Generate:
In this phase of the process, students would be asked to diagram and to explain as best as they can what causes the seasons. I would ask them to do this before they ever saw the simulation to get a good baseline of knowledge and to give them more room to evaluate and modify. After they had all finished, I would project whichever simulation we are doing first, most likely the seasons. On the main screen, I would make sure that they understood how the simulation worked, the necessary vocabulary (orbit, axis, rotation, NESW, tilt, oblong, hemisphere), and that they had roles down for working together in teams. Teams would first write down their first hypothesis on how seasons worked and then interface with the simulation. This personal working with the simulation has been shown to have positive correlations with student achievement (Khan 2010).

Evaluate
In this phase, students would revisit their hypotheses after using the simulation to check for internal validity. If they notice problems, through questioning, they would be lead to discover which parts of their hypothesis needs to be changed. For groups that get it on the first try or early on, the second simulation of moon phases is available for them to move on to.

Modify
After identifying which parts of their hypothesis needs to be evaluated, students would be invited to change their hypothesis and then to start the process over.And the end, reflection journals could be written, along with new diagrams and explanations to show the growth. By putting them side by side with their original explanations, student growth would be evident to all the participants. This method of writing and reflection will also help to make visible mental models (Khan 2007).T-GEM seems to make a lot of sense, but to be honest, it is incredibly close to the traditional scientific method that we have been taught from early on (Hypothesis, experiment, analyze, modify, conclude), but with T-GEM, computer simulations replace the experimental phase and the teacher is hyper-aware of not giving students information that is not necessary. Rather, they are left to experiment and learn more independently, making it closely related to experiential learning and problem-based learning.

Sources
Khan, S. (2007). Model-based inquiries in chemistryScience Education, 91(6), 877-905.
Khan, S. (2010). New pedagogies for teaching with computer simulationsJournal of Science Education and Technology, 20(3), 215-232.

Multi-Narrative Scavenger Hunt with LfU

As you probably know by now, I am not a math or science teacher, but rather, an ELA teacher. However, as I was reading through the LfU materials and exploring the GIS tools, I was struck by how easy it would be to use these sorts of resources, and of course, the framework, in designing and enhancing a lesson for my Creative Writing classroom.

For example, in LfU, each lesson follows the path of 1) motivation, 2) knowledge construction, and 3) knowledge refinement (Edelson, 2001). To further detail this process, there is 1) create demand, 2) elicit curiosity, 3) Observe, 4) Communicate, 5) Reflect, and 6) apply (Edelson, 2001). Using this more detailed look at LfU, an idea for an enhancement of a writing project quickly came to mind.

 

Motivation

The students could be informed that they are going to be writing a narrative story of a group of people in a race to get a cash prize (think Rat Race style). A sample type scavenger hunt could be made that would utilize the classroom or even the school campus. After students engage in the hunt, they could reflect on what kinds of things helped their team, and what kinds of things hindered them.

 

Elicit Curiosity

Perkins et al. (2010) noted that students need to develop more and more their special literacy. This writing project would use the tool of Google Map to help them not only improve their special literacy, but also bring an element of reality and logistical thinking to their writing. Each student would be given a certain amount of “money” and told that this is what their character would have at their disposal to make it across the country and get the cash prize. It would be up to them to budget and plan the trip using Google Maps and online information about fuel efficiency and other modes of transportation. The person whose character was able to make it to the prize (while still weaving these elements into their story and making it entertaining) would win the prize. Also, the clues that they found on the initial scavenger hunt would also contain special bonuses that were hidden on the map, using the MyMap function on Google Maps. When they would locate one of these “power-ups,” they would find a word that would give them bonus time or money.

 

Observe

Google Maps is a tool that most adults today use on a regular basis. It has powerful, up to date information not just about directions, but also traffic and alternate paths. There was a time that GIS were difficult to navigate and not readily accessible (Perkins et al. 2010), but those days are long gone. Students can quickly and easily access the GIS through their 1 to 1 Chromebooks and begin to actively participate in the process of plotting a path, using time, distance, money, accommodations, and modes of transportation. All of this information would be logged in a timeline.

 

Communicate

All of the students’ findings would be compiled together in a first-person narrative of a person involved in the race for the prize. Through the process of writing, they would be able to not only bring the information alive but also make their character come to life as they use what they find. All of the stories would be compiled together in a single book and the time, money, and distance traveled would be recorded, as well as a map of their journey.

 

Reflect

By reading through and discussing other people’s stories, students would have a chance to reflect on the decisions that they made and the process that they used to get there. They will have the chance to learn better methods from their classmates and adapt their method for the next time.

 

Apply

The applications for this are numerous, but the most obvious would be in trip planning. By thinking through the money, time, paths, food, fuel, accommodations, etc that are necessary for a road trip, students will have a better appreciate not only for the planning on trip, but also spacial awareness and narrative writing.

 

Sources:

Edelson, D.C. (2001). Learning-for-use: A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,38(3), 355-385. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1002/1098-2736(200103)38:3<355::aid-tea1010>3.0.CO;2-M

 

Perkins, N., Hazelton, E., Erickson, J., & Allan, W. (2010). Place-based education and geographic information systems: Enhancing the spatial awareness of middle school students in Maine. Journal of Geography, 109(5), 213-218. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1080/00221341.2010.501457

Let’s Be WISE about Climate Change

For my project, I chose to update “Chemical Reactions: How Can We Slow Climate Change?” The reason that I chose this one is because the final project asks students to pen a letter to their congressman, yet leaves them a little bit unguided in the writing process. The science was all fairly strong, with engaging modules, but some of the information, videos, and especially the writing process needed a freshening up.

First of all, I added a KWL chart to the first module to help guide them in their questioning. (Sabrina, I promise I didn’t copy you! I read yours after had customized my WISE project! Great minds…) The KWL chart is a more guided and structured way for students to think about a topic and try to figure out exactly what they are working with. It also clearly follows the first WISE/SKI principle by making thinking visible (Linn et al. 2003).

Next, I changed the outdated video that was included in the introduction to a more kid-friendly video that is hosted on EdPuzzle. Hosting the video on EdPuzzle allows for the teacher to place commentary over the top of the video, input words to help explain ideas, or ask questions to check comprehension. These abilities will help the teacher to right away get a feel for the room and know what kind of background knowledge they are working with.

Next, I added in a link to a group vocabulary page to which all students can contribute. The spreadsheet was hosted on Google Docs, making it easily accessible to all the students in the classroom. Since I was customizing the lesson with my own students in mind, I know that their vocabulary is lack and they need extra support to help them understand the texts. This EL support is beneficial not only for the EL students, but also for the general populace.  The spreadsheet asks them to answer for every word 1) part of speech, 2) definition 3) use in context-rich sentence 4) a picture or link word to help with memory. The collaborative nature of this page is in keeping with the WISE principle of helping students learn from each other (Linn et al. 2003) and also helps to scaffold the writing task that is upcoming at the end (Kim & Hannafin, 2010). Furthermore, this running thread through the assignment is another way to keep the learning cohesive, coherent, and thoughtful, like WISE principles tout.

The final change that I made was including sentence frames and a bit more structure to the writing task to help scaffold that process, as many of the students probably haven’t written a formal letter before and would be unfamiliar with the process and format. While this isn’t necessarily making the “science” accessible, it does make the assignment more accessible for them, thereby meeting the second principle of WISE (Linn et al. 2003) of making science accessible. Also, the sentence frames focus on the effects they see in their own neighborhoods as well, thereby showing personal applications (Slotta & Linn, 2009).

I realize that most of the supports that I added in were language related, not necessarily science related, but again, the reason for that is that the scientific sections were already well made and providing adequate supports for students. Furthermore, with my current group of students in mind, the theories and inquiry would be less of an issue when compared with the writing tasks. Yet, it would require frequent updating to keep the resources up to date and accurate.

 

References:

Kim, M. C., & Hannafin, M. J. (2011). Scaffolding problem solving in technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs): Bridging research and theory with practice. Computers & Education56(2), 403-417.

Linn, M. C., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. D. (2003). WISE design for knowledge integration. Science education87(4), 517-538.

Slotta, J. D., & Linn, M. C. (2009). WISE science: Web-based inquiry in the classroom. Teachers College Press.

WISE/SKI Reflection

  • What was the motivation to create WISE?
    • The motivation to create WISE was based around four main frameworks:
      • Make thinking visible
      • Make science accessible
      • Help students learn from each other
      • Promote lifelong learning
    • Furthermore, the WISE program addresses misconceptions through guided inquiry into authentic scientific problems in an attempt to bring science home to the students.
  • In what ways does SKI promote knowledge integration through its technological and curriculum design? Describe a typical process for developing a WISE project.
    • The process for developing a WISE project follows constructivist ideals in that each project must start with the activation prior knowledge. Then, a problem is posed to the students. In community, they then begin to work with the data sets and modules to experiment, learn, test, and develop working theories. These theories are shared, critiqued, and then finally cemented in place with an application. All of this is done in an online platform that seeks to place technology in the center of the learning process.
  • How does this design process compare with the Jasper Adventures?
    • WISE, as a platform, is much more interactive. Students are manipulating, inputting, and testing things directly on the platform. It feels like an early MOOC in the fact that the lessons are all prebuilt and students move through the materials. While Jasper was more problem-based, WISE is more inquiry-based, asking the students to continually be asking questions and trying new things.
  • How could you use a WISE project in your school or another learning environment?
    • To be perfectly honest, I would not use the WISE platform as it exists, as the technology seems outdated and is simply not very user-friendly. However, the lessons that are there could easily be translated into a format that would be more appealing to students and more accessible through the use of Google Sites or a similar platform. The ideas behind WISE of being open sourced, community learning is seen in many of the IT systems in place in modern classrooms, such as Edmodo. The large difference is that WISE already has the library of lessons built into it.
  • What about WISE would you customize?
    • It does seem like WISE is still not built around standards, which could lead to gaps in the students’ learning. Having the lesson updated and organized around standards would make them easier to match with Common Core curriculum and eliminate some misconceptions. Also, as stated before, the platform feels outdated and needs an update to make it something that students would be happy to use.

But Spaceships Don’t Have Anchors!

  • Creating digital video is now more available and more efficient than it was when the Jasper series were initially developed. Briefly, if given the opportunity, what kind of mathematical or science adventure might you design? Why? Pay attention to your underlying assumptions about teaching and learning regarding your design and your definition of technology. How would instruction in this adventure help to address misconceptions in math or science for some students?

The Jasper Series included many innovative (for the time) techniques to engage and involve students in active problem-solving. I can strongly appreciate the focus of showing students the usefulness of the science and math while giving them self-confidence (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt). However, many issues have been raised with programs that are purely project-based learning (Park & Park 2012). Park & Park (2012) among others have exposed how PBL alone is not enough to ensure that holes and misconceptions are not present in student learning. Direct instruction must be coupled together with the series in order for maximum effectiveness. Also, Biswas, Schwartz, & Bransford (2001) showed that in order for learning to be fully flexible and able to be transferred to other areas, more scenarios are needed for students to apply the learning in multiple contexts, lets the information be welded into the one specific context in which it was learned.

For these reasons, and because I strongly believe that students need to be using technology in ways that will prepare for them for the future, I would propose a new system that blends advanced problem solving, building concepts, the integration of key, explicit standards in math and science taught as mini-lessons, as well as work with emerging technologies. By coupling all these together, complex, real-world, situations could be created in which students are using key mathematical and scientific concepts that have been taught in class to solve advanced technological problems.

For example, a popular program for teaching physics and math (among other things) is The Kerbal Space Program. In this program, students are engaged with real-world physics, math, and problems that exist in designing, building, launching, and flying a rocket into outer space or to the moon. The complexity of the game is exponential as different challenges could be employed. Furthermore, the Kerbal Space Program could function as a teachable agent (Park & Park 2012), as the student must program the rocket in the way it should go and receive feedback through trial and error. A successful launch and mission could mean a mastery of skills. A failed mission sets them back to problem-solve and check calculations.

Simulations/gameplay like this could be created and enhanced with VR, robotics, or digital design for most situations that come up in the science and math classroom, allowing students to see the immediate applicability and receive instantaneous feedback from their calculations. Paired together with an intelligent course designer that is teaching relevant mini-lessons on math and science standards, students would be well-prepared for success in any STEM field that they desire, with their misconceptions and gaps filled in and real-world experience in solving a wide variety of problems.

-Jonathan-

 

References

Biswas, G., Schwartz, D., & Bransford, J. (2001). Technology support for complex problem solving: From SAD environments to AI.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. “The Jasper series as an example of anchored instruction: Theory, program description, and assessment data.” Educational Psychologist 27.3 (1992): 291-315.

Park, K., & Park, S. (2012). Development of professional engineers’ authentic contexts in blended learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology43(1).

Jasper Series Impressions and Implications

The Jasper series represents an early form of exploratory problem-solving questions. Students are guided along with (for the time) engaging videos and asked to combine mathematical and scientific thought in order to solve problems. It reminds me strongly of something like The Kerbal Space Program, in that it asks students to solve real-world problems and give them the chance to experiment with the onscreen presence.

The way that questions and processes build on each other, from basic to complex, coupled with the narrative features, also provide a strong chance for students to learn and practice in authentic situations, thereby boosting engagement, buy-in, and applicability. Furthermore, the complexity of problems allows for students of varying interests to tackle different parts of the problem, then collaborate to come up with the optimal answer.