Kids just want to get it done.
-(Strand 2 includes) recognizing when there is insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion and determining what kind of additional data are needed. (p 19)
This is one aspect of “scientific practice” I find hardest to achieve with my students. I can guide them to recognize ‘insufficient data’ in isolated controlled instances but they do not reach the “second nature” phase.
-(If all strands are present,) students...see science as valuable and interesting, (and) tend to be good learners and participants in science. They believe that steady effort in understanding science pays off—not that some people understand science and other people never will. (p 21)
I agree with this wholeheartedly, and it’s one of my most important goals- to ‘sell’ science as not just for a few but accessible, and useful to everyone.
-…major part of his college course on biodiversity had been preparing a local field guide based on weekend trips to a field station (p 23)
Here is where my interest in Vital Signs comes in. My program lacks something in terms of ownership - I dream of starting an ongoing project that would be of valid service to the community and thus extend beyond the classroom walls. The community has a long, well established history of maintaining beautiful, scenic snowmobile trails and ATV trails. Recently a new trail association for non-motorized activities such as walking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing has been formed. I’m hoping to get my students to create a guidebook to sections of the trail as a way to fan the spark of stewardship. I also hope that this will be a way to get enough realistic scientific practice in the form of identifying species to improve my students’ proficiency at making reliable judgments about whether or not they have enough evidence to draw a conclusion.
Comments
me mixed up
the above comment of mine was also copy pasted from the June thread because I didn't figure out there was a different place for July people to post. sorry! I see others have commented on reflecting on learning. It's a common theme that we wish we had a practical, workable tool to help get our students engaged in science, some way to get around or over or through the challenges of teaching within a set schedule, in between myriad interruptions and distractions.
strand 4
I accidentally posted all my July responses in the June thread, so I'm copying them here now- and this is my response to sarahricker: regarding "[Strand 4] calls for students to understand the appropriate norms for presenting scientific arguements and evidence AND TO PRACTICE PRODUCTIVE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS WITH PEERS IN THE CONTEXT OF CLASSROOM SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS."
and sarahricker in the June thread commented that when we try to get kids to interact socially AND productively in middle school, it usually doesn't really look like traditional learning is going on, because it's noisy and a lot of movement may be going on. I added "It seems to take huge determination on my part, but I keep at them all year to have PRODUCTIVE interactive science discussions. I kind of make it a game, teasing them a bit. Like oh I'm so evil, I am a very mean teacher, on the prowl for someone who hasn't been listening. Get them looking at each other smiling, call on someone, ask something impossible, loosen everyone up. The idea is that no one is perfect but together we can make progress. It has to be safe to put yourself out there. The goal is to slowly pull back until they are having an actual serious discussion without me facilitating." Now upon further reflecting, I remember I tried something new this year with a typical, noisy, but enthusiastic bunch of seventh graders: poster talks. Wow! To my complete and utter joy and amazement, the kids were just fantastic, the "productive social interactions with peers in the context of classroom science investigations" was simply astounding. It sounds like I'm bragging but truly, I was worried about how it would go, this bunch is hard to keep together during structured class activities, and here was something so different. Has anyone else tried this with classes?