LFU is to support learners in developing knowledge in a way that will be easily retrievable when needed in the future (Edelson, 2001). With teachers being asked to more content more effectively and to foster “deep” and “robust” conceptual understanding in students there needs to be a change in the way science is taught in the classroom. The didactic model of lectures and reading, with separate learning activities only serves to provide students with inert knowledge that cannot be called upon when it is most needed (Whitehead, 1929). We have all had those students who cannot seem to remember anything that had been previously taught to them, mostly because the information was not relevant to them. This shallow understanding of scientific concepts leads to student misconceptions and unreliable information for future understanding.
The LFU model, based on four basic principles of learning, support constructivist, cognitive, and situated learning perspectives. These principles put the learning firmly in the hands of the learner, allowing them to set goals, make deep and new connections between knowledge structures, and retrieve the relevant information in the future.
One aspect of the LFU model that resonated with me the most was the evidence that application and reflection are both critically important to the development of useful knowledge. In many traditional models of learning the task was assigned, students met the requirements by doing the task, the task was graded, and it was never re-visited again, making it difficult for students to see how knowledge connects across the curriculum or across different disciplines. Mathematics and scientific concepts are not applied in isolation in the real world, and yet, that is how they are taught traditionally in the classroom. The LFU model emphasizes time to reflect upon the acquisition of new knowledge, and how that knowledge connects to what they already know, and how it can be applied to problems or relevant situations. This was evident in Camila, the Earth, and the Sun when the students shared their ideas and understandings with their peers in an open discussion, allowing all of them to reflect on the information being given, and to reform their ideas with the new knowledge. I find it is one of the things that many teachers do not take the time to do in their classrooms, give the students opportunities to reflect on their learning, both formally as in a written response, or informally as in an open discussion or small groups. It was one of the aspects of the WISE projects that I appreciated, there was time for the students to go back and revisit some of the information and reflect on what they had learned.
Since I teach all the content subjects to my class, I am always interested in finding ways to integrate the subjects to help make the topics more relevant to the students. I was particularly intrigued by the Create-a-World project, especially as new planets have been discovered which may sustain life similar to that on earth. Using these types of programs students could determine how different landforms were created, climate patterns of different areas, the water cycle, and environmental issues which may arise with civilizations. Although My World and World Watcher seem to be optimal for this application, I do not think they are supported by my Board and would have to seek out alternatives for the project. Google Earth is supported and could easily be used to investigate a variety of landforms around the world, it does not seem to have all the affordances of the other programs. Our Board does support Gizmos through the Explore Learning website (https://www.explorelearning.com/) which has many interactive lessons on specific math and science topics which would allow students to explore such concepts as Weather and Climate, Tidal Effects, Seasons, and Topographic Maps. Students can choose which Gizmos they would like to explore relevant to their project. These interactive lessons allow students to explore things of interest to them motivating them to learn, they construct new understanding using previous knowledge and new knowledge to form new connections, and they have time to reflect on how these concepts fit with their world requirements.
In keeping with the STEAM movement, I like to add a creative aspect to the project, much as Camilla used the drawings of her perception of light on earth to demonstrate her learning. Students could create a physical model of their planet, showing the different landforms and various eco zones using colour and texture. They could create a series of drawings to demonstrate their understanding of weather, climate, precipitation, landforms, etc. They could create an evolution video on how their world was formed using iMovie or other similar software applications.
Having been exposed to these different types of GIS applications and the principles of LFU, discovering other software or programs to support this type of learning will become a focus for the future of my classroom.
References
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
Radinsky, J., Oliva, S., & Alamar, K. (2009). Camila, the earth, and the sun: Constructing an idea as shared intellectual property. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(6), 619-642.