Nov07

Science Notebooks

I've heard about "interactive" science notebooks. I would like to use them with my classes, but I think I need to learn more about them before I start.
—Randall, Columbus, Ohio

For many teachers, the word "notebook" conjures up a traditional folder or binder to hold lab reports, homework, class handouts and notes, tests and quizzes, and/or completed worksheets. The students receive a list of required documents and the specific order in which they should appear. Notebooks are graded periodically on completeness and whether the documents are in the “correct” order. Teachers tell the students to "study" from them. At the end of the school year, some students would take them home; others would casually toss them as they emptied their desks or lockers.

However, many teachers are working with their students to create a more useful and personalized notebook that will be used daily throughout the year. These teachers recognize the importance of helping their students learn organizational strategies, but they also recognize the need for students to improve their data recording and analysis skills and learn how to reflect on and communicate what they are thinking and learning through writing. These “interactive” notebooks are living documents where students have the responsibility to record and use their lab investigations, vocabulary, class notes, sketches, summaries, and other assignments.

Here are some resources you can use to learn more:

  • The NSTA Press publication Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms by Michael Klentschy has become a classic. Don't be put off by the title if you're a secondary teacher. The concepts are the same, and the strategies would be useful if your students are not used to organizing their thoughts and notes. There are many examples of student work, and I was blown away by what these little ones are doing and thinking! You can even read a sample chapter online.

  • NSTA's Science Store also provides access to journal articles on the topic. NSTA members can access journal articles for free.

  • The website Science Notebooks in K-12 Classrooms produced by the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership in Washington state is an excellent resource, with lots of examples of student work, templates, and documents—including many in Spanish.

  • Using Science Notebooks is an online teacher resource from the Tucson Unified School District with suggestions for using notebooks, their benefits and advantages, and examples of student work.

  • The Scientist's Notebook Toolkit from the East Bay Educational Collaborative in Rhode Island is another resource rich in suggestions and examples.

  • The ERIC Digest Science Notebooks: Tools For Increasing Achievement Across the Curriculum provides a rationale for using science notebooks and discusses their effect on learning.

  • There is a forum in the NSTA Communities on Interactive Science Notebooks in which teachers are asking questions and sharing suggestions.

One thing I like about many of these books, articles, and online resources is the examples of student work. Secondary teachers will be amazed at the depth of knowledge expressed by younger students! I suspect these students did not catch on to a new approach to notebooks right away, especially if they have had many years of explicit directions on exactly what papers and information to archive. Their teachers had to provide lots of modeling, feedback, and persistence to get to the point where the notebook is a useful and integral part of their science classes. They also had to try different notebook formats (composition books, binders, folders, digital media) and strategies (logistics for storage, giving feedback) to find what works best with their students. But teachers generally agree the increase in student participation and learning is worth the effort.

It would be interesting to hear from anyone who uses laptops or online notebooks where students record their observations, upload images and videos, and communicate their findings virtually.
Published: Nov-07-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Nov03

Observing a Student Teacher

I'm going to have a student teacher in my biology classes next semester. I've never done this before, and I'd like to provide her with feedback on effective science teaching practices. Do you have any suggestions for resources on this?

--Deborah, Stockton, California

Congratulations on your new role, and thank you for agreeing to help an aspiring science teacher! You're the best resource she can have, as you model good teaching and provide feedback on her efforts.

Will your student teacher's supervisor use university/college protocols or checklists? If these are generic and meant to be used for a variety of subject areas or the supervisor does not have a background in science education, some science-specific protocols and indicators specifically related to science teaching would be helpful to share with your student teacher. Using these written guidelines or rubrics can provide baseline data and show areas of improvement as she becomes more capable and confident under your tutelage. These guidelines can also help you focus your feedback on specific behaviors, which is better than a generic, though still valuable, "good job." She can also use these guidelines as she observes your teaching.

A math-science partnership project with which I was involved used two protocols on classroom visits. These could be adapted to meet the needs of your student teacher. Both of these are included in the National Science Foundation’s MSPnet, an electronic learning community with many professional development resources:

  • The Science Classroom Observation Guide from the North Cascades and Olympic cience Partnership is user-friendly and concise. This one-page document includes indicators (or "look-fors") on classroom culture, science content, instruction for understanding, and organizing/applying scientific knowledge. This protocol is different: it focuses on what students are doing as a result of the teacher's instruction, rather than strictly a direct measure of the teacher's performance.
  • Inside the Classroom Observation and Analytic Protocol from Horizon Research is a comprehensive instrument that can be used in both science and mathematics classes. It's very lengthy and could be overwhelming for both the observer and the teacher, but it offers some additional ideas.

Classroom management is a challenge for new teachers, especially in science classes where students are using equipment and materials. To help your student teacher, look up Victor Sampson's The Science Management Observation Protocol in the December 2004 issue of The Science Teacher (you can access it online in NSTA’s Science Store where journal articles are available free to NSTA members, and for a nominal cost to non-members). This article includes checklists tailored to inquiry-based science classes: classroom routines, use of time, collaboration, safety, and the care and use of materials.

When using protocols such as these, it's important to remember that any given lesson will not exemplify or include every item. They list exemplary practices but do not prescribe which would be appropriate in a given situation. That's where your experience and expertise will be helpful to your student teacher. Even experienced teachers could benefit from looking at these protocols and reflecting on a recent lesson.

Another priceless resource on effective teaching you could share is a guided tour of the many resources available to NSTA members, starting with the portal Preservice and New Teachers. Good luck!
Published: Nov-03-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct16

Teacher Book Groups

Some of my colleagues in the science department and I would like to start a book group, but we’re not sure how to get started. What books should we read? How often should we meet? Any other suggestions?
—Allison, Lexington, Kentucky

How many times have we said to ourselves "I know I should do more professional reading, but..."? Participating in a book group may provide motivation for reading and an opportunity to discuss the book.

I shared your question with a librarian who has experience with book clubs. She offered several insights:
  • The purpose of forming your group is a key factor in choosing what books to read and discuss and in structuring your group. Do you want to improve your own content knowledge? Improve your teaching skills? Review trade books related to your curriculum to recommend to students?
  • Consider some ground rules for the meetings, such as how much (if any) "sidebar" discussion on other issues will be allowed, how to disagree respectfully, and whether interruptions such as cell phones will be permitted.
  • Set meeting dates and times in advance so all members can update their calendars. During the school year, monthly meetings may be appropriate. Some groups read an entire book and then discuss it, while others spread the chapters out over a semester. If you're reading a book on teaching strategies, this latter approach gives you time to try new strategies and debrief with your colleagues. In another variation, teachers read a book over the summer and then meet in August to discuss how to implement the strategies or content during the year.
  • If you meet during the school year, identify times when members will be available: after school, during a common planning period, on an inservice day, or during a lunch period. The school day can be hectic, so some groups prefer to meet for breakfast or dinner, combining the book discussion with socializing.
  • Select meeting places conducive to relaxed discussion. Classrooms often have distractions, so you might consider a conference room, the library, or an off-campus location. Refreshments are a nice touch, too.
  • Identify a "discussion leader" for each session to facilitate the dialogue (perhaps with some discussion-starting questions) and to set a relaxed atmosphere in which everyone's contribution is valued.

For books on science content and science teaching, consult the NSTA Reviews column in each journal issue or NSTA Recommends on NSTA's website (www.nsta.org/recommends). For general books on teaching, I recommend browsing publications on the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) website .

I've recently read some books you might want to consider. Science Formative Assessments by Page Keeley and Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms by Michael Klentschy (both from NSTA Press) have many ideas your members could try in their classrooms as you read the book. Rethinking Homework by Cathy Vatterott (available from ASCD) is thought-provoking and has been getting a lot of attention lately. Right now I'm reading Never Work Harder Than Your Students by Robyn Jackson (also from ASCD; the website has a helpful study guide).

Professional books such as these are probably not in your local public library, so you'll have to consider how your members will get copies. In my school, the professional development committee provided books for the summer reading groups. If finances are an issue, you could use articles from NSTA journals or online readings.

Don’t give up if you have a few glitches as the group starts. If you're successful, you might find a way to include your book group as a personalized professional development option.

At an NSTA conference session I once attended, members of a book club noted their group has been in existence for more than 15 years. Their members come and go, and some teachers who transferred or retired still participate. I think that's even longer than Oprah's book club!
Published: Oct-16-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Oct08

Living Things in the Classroom

Many NSTA journal articles refer to working in "Outdoor Classrooms." I teach in a neighborhood school with no grass or trees in the schoolyard, so I'm thinking of bringing the outdoors indoors by adding some plants and live animals to my classroom. I've never had animals before. Do you have any recommendations?
—Jack, St. Paul, Minnesota

Live plants and animals in the classroom can be a wonderful learning opportunity for students. More than just decorations, these live plants and animals can turn a classroom into a center for observing, questioning, data collecting, and developing a respect for living things.

Before you start, check out district or school policies or guidelines on live plants and animals. Look up Ken Roy's article on the Responsible Use of Live Animals in the Classroom in July 2004 issue of Science Scope (you can access it online in NSTA’s Science Store if you don’t have your own journal archive). Take a look at the Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education from the National Academies. Also review NSTA's position statement, Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom, for some recommendations. I'll elaborate on a few.

Consider your curriculum and standards. What learning goals are supported by having plants and animals in your classroom? Rather than relegating the animals to the back of the classroom and the plants to the windowsill, creating a learning center can focus students' attention with questions (especially student-generated ones) and related resources. For example, in two elementary classrooms I visited, I saw very different approaches using butterfly chrysalises. In one classroom, the container was on a table surrounded by papers, books, and other miscellaneous materials. The other classroom had the same kind of container and chrysalis, but the container was the focal point of a learning center titled "How (and Why) Do Butterflies Change?" The teacher had posted students' questions about the topic. She had insect field guides for students to look at, pictures of other kinds chrysalises and cocoons, and a magnifying glass. There was a chart on which students recorded their observations each day. In their journals, students included their questions, observations, and drawings. The students were tracking butterfly migrations on the Journey North website. All of these activities were part of a larger theme on "Changes" which incorporated topics in scientific processes, insects, and life cycles.

Choose animals carefully. You do not want venomous animals, ones that make distracting amounts of noise, or ones requiring controlled environments (as some reptiles do). Before you make any decisions, find out if any students have allergies to hair, fur, or feathers. Wild animals such as chipmunks or songbirds do not belong in the classroom (and possessing them may be in violation of state or local game laws). Small rodents such as guinea pigs, mice, or hamsters are popular classroom residents. (Of these, I personally preferred gerbils—being desert animals, their containers did not need as much cleaning.) Teachers also recommend hissing cockroaches, snakes (such as ball pythons or corn snakes), and other "herps" (such as bearded dragons, iguanas, turtles, or tree frogs). Get animals from a reputable pet shop or other provider (including rescue organizations) who can advise you and the students on their housing and care.

Aquariums are also popular in classrooms. Students (and teachers) find them relaxing and interesting to observe. If you've never set one up before, try a small "starter kit" and some inexpensive tropical fish. It would be a great experience for you and your students to learn together.

There are some practical and logistical issues, too. Will someone be able to get in to feed the animals or water the plants on weekends or holiday breaks? How much does the temperature fluctuate in your classroom? Do the custodians use potentially harmful cleaning chemicals or pesticides? What happens to the animals over the summer break? I never sent animals home with students, unless I was personally acquainted with the parents and knew they would be properly cared for.

There are many opportunities for inquiry with plants, especially if students start them from seeds or clippings. Choose plants that do not have poisonous leaves or berries. I know an elementary teacher who has a small houseplant for each student in his class. The students decorate the pots and take them home at the end of the year if they wish.

Your neighborhood might be a living laboratory, too. Take a look at the resources provided by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, including Project PigeonWatch and Celebrate Urban Birds.

Be ready for the impromptu "teachable moments" live animals can provide. During a standardized testing session in my homeroom, a student returning from the pencil sharpener remarked, "One of the gerbils is having babies!" I don't remember what our test scores were that year, but it was an exciting live lesson in mammalian reproduction.
Published: Oct-08-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Sep30

Testing Blues

I'm feeling really frustrated. I thought the students were following along in my first unit, but I am really disappointed in the test results. What can I do differently in the next unit?
—Lisa, Topeka, Kansas

The first unit is the toughest one. You're learning about your students' capabilities and background knowledge, and they're learning about your expectations and requirements.

If the purpose of your test is to just record a grade for the students, it can be tempting to “curve” scores so more students receive a passing grade. It might also be tempting to assume students just blew off the test. But neither of these solutions addresses the issue of student learning.

Look at the test itself. How well do the items reflect the concepts and processes in the unit’s learning objectives? If you used a test from a previous year or one from the textbook, you might have to modify the number and types of questions if you emphasize different topics, expand on a topic based on student interest or needs, or cut some topics short in the interest of time. One of my favorite strategies was to ask the students, "What did you learn in this unit that I forgot to ask on the test?" It was interesting to see what students found memorable or relevant.

Are any items ambiguous or confusing, especially from the students' perspective? This can be hard to determine; if the test had a lot of multiple-choice or short answers, I usually asked students to circle three items (the number could vary) they did not want me to count. They still had to answer the question, and they had to explain why they circled it. In some cases, they admitted they didn't know the answer; other times they did not understand how the question was worded, and sometimes there were words in the question they did not understand. As I graded the tests, I kept a tally of the circled items. If any item had a lot of circles, it was a clue something was missing during instruction or I had written a poor question.

You said "I thought the students were following along…" Do you have any evidence of student learning during the unit? Formative assessments are ongoing, classroom level assessments used to discover what students are learning so we can move on (if students have learned a topic) or revisit our instruction to correct misconceptions or fill in gaps. These focused check-ups can provide just-in-time information during the lesson and can have many formats: frequent thumbs-up/down responses, a notebook/journal entry, warm-up or ticket-out-the-door activities, quick responses on a dry erase board or piece of paper, or electronic response systems. Even traditional quizzes and lab reports can be used formatively, assuming we provide feedback on the students' learning (more than just a grade or percent correct) and use the results to improve or validate our instruction. (See the Ms. Mentor blog from September 2008 for more examples and resources).

Finally, do your students know how to study for a test? We often assume, especially at the secondary level, students have a wide range of study skills and they know how and when to use them. These can be faulty assumptions! We may need to guide students through note-taking and review. The generic "study skills" students were exposed to—skimming, summarizing, questioning, highlighting—may have to be revisited and fine-tuned for your subject or grade level. There are teachers who reinforce the value of having organized notes by encouraging students to use their science notebooks for a few minutes during (or at the end of) a test to find or check their answers.

I'd love to hear from you at the end of your next unit!
Published: Sep-30-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Sep22

Individualized Professional Development

The middle school where I teach just changed the topics taught each year to align with our state standards. My specialty is biology/life science, but now I'm also expected to address topics in earth and physical science. The inservice agenda for this year focuses on teaching strategies, but what I really need are crash courses in earth and physical science. I can't go back to college—what should I do?
— Kaylee, Longmont, Colorado

Science teachers have two fields requiring continuing education—pedagogy and science content. In my school district, it was easy for our committee to plan professional development in teaching practices. Topics such as cooperative learning, classroom management, technology, curriculum design, inclusion, and assessment applied to virtually all subject areas. But science content was another issue. With only four secondary biology/life science teachers, it was difficult (and costly) to find facilitators to provide workshops or seminars on specific science topics. So once a year, we combined with teachers from other schools for the traditional "large group in an auditorium for a speaker" event. This approach to professional development was often irrelevant; research has shown one-shot presentations without any follow-up are ineffective.

Many of our students have IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) to meet their needs. Perhaps its time for teachers to create IPDPs (Individualized Professional Development Plans) for ourselves, particularly for content knowledge. Some districts offer such an option for self-directed learning. Teachers set their own learning goals, design a learning strategy, document their activities, and describe how they will apply the new content knowledge. The plans require prior approval (especially if the district is awarding official professional development hours) and usually teachers are excused from some or all of the traditional inservice programs. Perhaps you could offer to pilot an IPDP in your school.

I know a teacher who actually used a KWL (what we know, what we want to know, and what we learned) chart to explain her plan. The NSTA Learning Center also has a "PD Plan and Portfolio" tool to guide you through this process. It sounds like you already have a goal (updating your content knowledge and skills, and finding related resources and activities for your classroom), but keep it simple and do-able. Identify one or two content topics to start, perhaps the ones in which you feel least confident.

Learning strategies could include a variety of sources. Check your local colleges/universities for content courses appropriate for teachers to keep current on familiar topics or to learn new ones. However, introductory courses are usually labeled as undergraduate and may not count for certification or tuition reimbursement. Some colleges/universities do have "special topic" courses (including online ones) designed to enhance teacher knowledge.

Not all content learning has to be in a formal graduate course. Consider reading science journals or trade books (check out the suggested reading lists in the NSTA journals), watching TV programs related to science, listening to podcasts, or participating a professional learning community. Look for seminars or speakers at nearby colleges/universities or professional societies. Consider visiting a museum, zoo, planetarium, nature center, or botanical garden that offers programs compatible with your goals.

The resources at the NSTA Learning Center can help you, too. It would be easy to incorporate these into IPDPs, and many are free to NSTA members. The resources include free Science Objects, free online web seminars (most other professional organizations charge for these), and listservs. Did you notice how many of these NSTA resources are free for members? That is an educator's favorite word!

Reading NSTA journals such as The Science Teacher, Science Scope, and Science & Children is an easy way to stay current on both pedagogy and content, and your membership includes online access to all of them, including the archives. If you need some quick information on an unfamiliar topic, use NSTA's SciLinks to find websites with information.

Keep a record of your learning—in a journal, on your PDA, or on a form supplied by your school as documentation. You may be surprised at how informal professional learning can add to your content knowledge base.
Published: Sep-22-09 | 4 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Sep11

Take-Home Projects

I'm thinking of requiring some "take-home" projects for students this year. (I teach at the elementary level). I think these would provide a good opportunity for students and parents to work together on science topics. Do you have any suggestions or guidelines?
—Janine, Boise, Idaho

I suspect the most dreaded words many parents hear from their children are "I have to do a science project," often spoken the night before it’s due!

Optional or supplementary take-home projects may be of interest to many students (and their parents or other caregivers). But I'd consider some questions before requiring all students to complete take-home projects.

What kind of project do you have in mind? How does the project relate to the learning goals or objectives for the unit? I've seen many traditional "projects" such as models of volcanoes or the solar system, pretzel-stick log cabins, and shoebox dioramas, but I wonder how they demonstrate student learning of specific content knowledge or skills. Take-home packets with items such as coloring pages or word searches may be enjoyable for students, but I question their instructional value in terms of learning science.

Does the project rubric relate to the learning goals and focus on content, organization, and depth of information? Some students (and parents) may not know what a presentation looks like or how to design a science fair poster, so having pictures or videos of projects from other years may help. How much will the project count toward final grades? Remember, giving "extra" credit for take-home projects penalizes students who have limited resources at home.

What level of parent involvement is acceptable? "Involvement" may range from providing materials and some guidance to taking over the project and doing it for the student. Some students have parents who work evenings, have other children to care for, or may not have a lot of skills or self-confidence to assist with projects. Do your students have the knowledge and skills to complete them on their own?

How much time will be required? Many students have evening schedules with various community activities as well as homework in other subjects.

Does the project require costly materials or resources? How will you accommodate students who either cannot afford materials or get to a store to purchase them? Do all of your students have access to computers and the Internet at home? Students may be concerned whether the finished project can be transported on the bus.

Your intention to connect parents and their children through science activities is commendable. It sounds like you want the projects to be enjoyable, but you must keep in mind formal take-home projects with ironclad deadlines could be a burden in terms of time and resources. Much has been written about project-based learning in the classroom (see Edutopia's Why Teach with Project Learning? or the September 2009 issue of NSTA Reports). These formal projects require intensity, planning, and resources and should be structured so all students, regardless of their home circumstances, can participate. But don't give up on finding ways to involve students and parents with informal, science-related activities.

In your school or class newsletter, website, or blog, include information about free events at local parks, nature centers, libraries, or museums. Encourage students who attend these events to share their experiences. NSTA's SciLinks can help you create a list of appropriate websites related to your unit topics to share with parents.

Annotate the school or class calendar with prompts for family conversations—What is your first memory of being outdoors? How have inventions and technology changed over the years? Play I Spy at home and find objects made of metal, plastic, glass, wood. Talk about where food comes from. If other subject areas get involved, every day can have a conversation-starter. The "Everyday Science" calendar in NSTA's Science and Children each month could be a starting point.

I worked with an elementary school that had take-home "kits" in plastic bags, created by a high school service group. The materials were donated or bought at a dollar store or flea market. For science, these kits included CDs or DVDs with podcasts or science programs, trade books to read at home with suggested discussion questions, vocabulary flash cards (even better if your students make them), small collections (such as leaves, seashells, rocks, or pictures) with directions for sorting or classifying, a plastic ruler and a magnifying glass with some simple directions for observing and collecting data, maps of the night sky for star gazing, an inexpensive pair of binoculars and a field guide on birds, and a set of building blocks. Students signed out a kit to take home, and they were not "graded" on the use of the kits. Of course, some kits never made it back to the classroom, but that did not discourage teachers from continuing the project.
Published: Sep-11-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Aug29

Cooperative Learning

What's the best way to set up cooperative learning groups for labs and other activities? How often should I change the groups? I'd also like to assign roles for group members, but I need some examples.
— Doug, Henderson, Nevada

Cooperative learning is a strategy supported by a wealth of research. The term often reflects a continuum of approaches, from generic "group work" to more structured activities. (Use the phrase in an Internet search to find resources such as Why Use Cooperative Learning? and Cooperative Learning.

There is no single or "best" way to set up groups. This is a great opportunity for action research as you try different configurations and note which ones seem to work better for your students. Consider these questions:

How many should be in a group? Groups of four seem to be effective in my experience. It's easy in a triad for one student to be ignored, more than four is a crowd at lab tables, and in a pair there is the issue of what happens when one of the students is absent.

How should the groups be structured? This is where you'll need to do some experimentation, because each class is different.
  • You could start with a random assignment. There are websites with random number generators, and programs like Excel have them, too. Some teachers take a low-tech approach and literally draw names using craft sticks or index cards. As the students work in these initial groups, you can observe the students' interpersonal skills, work habits, and how combinations of personalities work.
  • I hesitated to use student-selected groups. Usually, friends wanted to work with friends, and I was concerned about the students who were selected last or not at all (remembering my own experiences as a non-athlete at recess). I was also worried students wouldn't learn how to work with a variety of people. Recognizing the need for students to have a voice in the classroom, I tried a variation in which students could give me a note with the name of one person they would like to work with. I then structured the groups to try to accommodate their choices, with no guarantees.
  • Some teachers suggest grouping by ability. I'm wasn't sure how to determine science "ability"—I suspect teachers use factors such as reading or math ability, grades, work habits, or behavior. I found heterogeneous grouping worked best for my classes most of the time. Once I did put four slackers together. After a while they realized they had not accomplished much, and no one was going to bail them out! Sometimes if I had students with an intense interest in a topic, I had them work together.
  • There are other student variables to consider. Depending on your class, you many find single-gender groups provide more opportunities for student participation. If your class includes special education students, check with the specialist to determine their needs in terms of their IEPs.

How often should the groups change? Changing groups for each activity allows students to get to know others, but students also learn if they don't get along, it doesn't matter—the group will change next time and they don't need to resolve any difficulties. I would usually try to keep the groups intact for a unit. This also saved time, because the students knew who their partners were and which lab table was theirs.

Setting roles is a key component of cooperative learning so students share the responsibility for learning. The roles may vary from task to task: group leader, presenter, data recorder, measurer, equipment manager, liaison (to ask questions of the teacher or other teams), artist, online researcher, questioner, timekeeper, notetaker. The literature on cooperative learning describes other roles. Have job descriptions for each role (as checklists or on the bulletin board), and ask students to describe how they and their teammates did their jobs (this could be a exit activity). Rotate the roles so students have a variety of experiences.

To keep the groups focused and on-task, be sure that students understand the expectations for the project or investigation. Share the rubric ahead of time. Monitor the groups as they work, eavesdropping on their discussions and observing their interactions (this can be a formative assessment). Cooperative learning models emphasize the importance of both groupwork and individual accountability. You could have the group create some parts of a report together (perhaps in their notebooks or with a class Wiki or GoogleDoc page) and then have each student write his or her own conclusion or summary. Some teachers hold each student be responsible for one part of a project, evaluating each component separately and then assigning a holistic evaluation for the entire project.

You may have students who do not have a high level of interpersonal skills. Start with brief and highly structured activities. Model cooperative behavior, and work with them on what types of language is appropriate in their groups. And remember there are times when cooperative learning is effective, times when large group instruction is appropriate, and times when you want students working independently.

For more information on how other science teachers are using this strategy, go to the NSTA Learning Center to search for articles on cooperative learning.
Published: Aug-29-09 | 2 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Aug19

Perseverance and "Failure"

With all of the curricular demands and a focus on preparing for state exams, I am concerned that we do not create situations for students to persevere if they don’t succeed in their first attempts at experiments in science. How do we communicate the value of curiosity and perseverance to high school science students and the notion that repeated "failure" is common on the road to major breakthroughs?
—Noelle, New York, New York

When watching children play video games or teenagers texting at the speed of light, I marvel at how they learned these skills on their own--through trial and error, practice, watching each other, and self-evaluation. You raise a good question: Are students encouraged to use these learning strategies in school?

Students hear failure and mistakes are not an option, with airline pilots and brain surgeons as examples. While I hope pilots and surgeons would not make errors in the cockpit and operating room, I suspect they did make some errors during simulations and supervised training—under controlled circumstances where they see the results of their decisions in a variety of situations. This training provides opportunities to learn how to recognize when things go wrong and to experience many problem-solving and decision-making situations, so they’ll remain calm and collected when things go haywire in real life, as they inevitably do. .

What happens when students make mistakes or when something does not go well the first time? I suspect some teachers use the red pencil to focus on the mistakes and take points off, even when students are learning and practicing new concepts and skills. Do students learn that mistakes are bad in school, perfection is required at all times, and there are no second chances? Perhaps some students are so afraid of being labeled a "failure" they've learned it's less painful to do nothing. It could be helpful if we model how to recognize a mistake or error and what to do about it. Even if we have to make a deliberate error, we can demonstrate how it could be corrected and prevented and what can be learned from it. We could even describe our own attempts at learning something new. (I told my students that if they ever felt frustrated to visualize me in my first aerobics class—what a disaster!)

We should not condone sloppy or careless work, but I wonder if sometimes it would be helpful to allow students to make mistakes. Shouldn't we encourage them to reflect, ponder, and problem-solve before asking for help? Just as "helicopter parents" hover over their children to prevent mistakes or failure, I think well-intentioned "helicopter teachers" hover over their students and intervene even if students do not ask for (and may not really need) immediate assistance, just a little time to think things through. Of course, teachers must intervene if there are safety issues or when students are genuinely frustrated.

Can we help students learn perseverance if science activities are neatly packaged in one-period chunks rather than opportunities for ongoing investigations? What do students learn about the nature of science if all activities have a single, correct answer or conclusion? It would be helpful for students and teachers to meet scientists (either in person or online) and learn about their day-to-day work. A museum scientist described to my students how his longitudinal research on amphibian populations was taking several years (it was interspersed with other projects). He noted how he revised the project several times and how some data did not seem to "fit," which led to other research questions.

It's not necessary to wait until high school to encourage perseverance and curiosity. In a fourth grade class I visited, students were investigating the relationship between volume and temperature. They had made predictions/hypotheses, but as the teacher put their data on the board, it was apparent that they were too varied to see any trends and come to any conclusion. As the teacher tried to think of an explanation, a student remarked, "Maybe we didn't all do the experiment in the same way." Other students chimed in with suggestions: they may have read the thermometers incorrectly, perhaps they did not all measure the balloons accurately, or maybe the balloons had tiny holes in them that allowed air to escape. The teacher then joined the discussion about the importance of controls in an experiment and the value of consistency and accuracy in measurement. When the students asked if they could repeat the experiment, she helped them annotate the procedure with their suggestions and promised they could try again. After class, she reflected on the lesson. She said that at first she was disappointed the activity did not work out as planned, but she was excited about the way the students responded. She concluded that learning from a "failed" experiment was a valuable experience. (And later in the year, her class scored well above average on the state science exam!)

A recent blog entry Student Success: Genius or Perseverance? on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) web site also addresses this topic. Readers, feel free to share your own experiences or other resources, too.
Published: Aug-19-09 | 1 Comment | 1 Link to this post

Aug07

Getting to Know Your Students

I've read a lot about the value of making connections with students. But it seems impossible to connect with individual students when I meet with 150 per day in my classes. Any suggestions or advice?
—Bethany, Rochester, Minnesota

When I was student teaching, I had to shadow a student for an entire day and reflect on what I observed. Going over my notes, I realized not once during the school day did my student (a 10th grader) have a conversation with an adult. No teacher called on him in class; no adult said hello in the hallway. The cashier in the cafeteria didn’t even say ‘thank you’ when he paid for his lunch! Perhaps this was not a typical day, but if it was, I wondered how lonely this student must have felt, as one of the many "invisible" students passing unnoticed from class to class. As a teacher, I made it my goal that no student should ever be invisible.

It's easy to connect with the students who demand our attention: the hand-raisers, the outgoing personalities, those who are genuinely interested in science, and those who use negative behaviors as attention-grabbers. Getting to know every student is simpler in a self-contained classroom where a teacher and students are together for most of the day. In a secondary classroom, however, trying to connect with 150 students seems like an impossible task. But there are strategies to make this doable.

Ask each student to record data on an index card: name, birthday, nickname, interests/hobbies, school activities, out-of-school activities (e.g., jobs, community organizations, volunteer work), and other conversation-starters. (Use a different color card for each class.) Then for each class each day, the student on top of the deck would be your "target." This is not a formal student-of-the-day designation or event, but just a subtle way of ensuring that you're interacting with each student. During the class period, greet him/her at the door, call on her for an answer or to share a thought, ask him to be the assistant to write on the board or overhead, or interact with him/her during seatwork or groupwork. In a little more than a month, you will have interacted with each student in this focused manner. The cards can also be used to randomly select a student for an answer or a job, ensuring that it's not just the hand-raisers or those in the front of the classroom who participate.

Some other ways to connect include
  • Stand in the hallway to talk to students as they come in. A friendly hello, compliment, or comment may be one of the few positive interactions students have with an adult that day. (For some classes, especially if lab equipment is set up, stand just inside the door to keep an eye on things.)
  • Use students' names in class conversations: "That's a good idea, Marcus" or "Do you have anything to add, Maria?" A seating chart with the students' nicknames is helpful at the beginning of the year to connect names and faces.
  • A quick note, e-mail, or postcard with a positive remark goes a long way to making the student feel accomplished and part of the class.
  • Get to know students in a different setting by attending school functions and events occasionally. Some students' parents may not be able to attend, so a friendly cheer or bravo may mean a lot.
  • Consider having lunch with students or talking to them in the lunch line.
  • My colleague and I strongly believed labs should not be used as homerooms, so we volunteered for morning hall duty instead. We stationed ourselves at the bus door and pleasantly greeted students as they came in. For many students we were the first adults to interact with them in the morning, and they looked forward to seeing us. (/ul>

There is also the option to connect with students online, but there are a number of pros and cons to this approach. If you're intrigued with using social media (such as Twitter or Facebook), the August 2009 issue of Learning and Leading with Technology has an interesting point/counterpoint discussion Should You "Friend" Your Students?

Of course, your connections with students should always be on a professional level. Most of the students already have friends to hang out with. But many of them need caring adults in their lives who take an interest in them and make them feel valued and "visible."

Please feel free to add your suggestions for getting to know your students.
Published: Aug-07-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

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