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$Grade 5 Math Instructional Materials 2009 - RPDP$

what we thought to be true – this is the time that the brain is motivated to make sense of the experience. This is also the most opportune time for learning! The more aware we are of how children think, the more likely we are to provide the kind of experiences that support their search for meaning and understanding. We can’t force children to understand, but through effective questioning and providing meaningful experiences, we can get them engaged. The key is to get students to think, and according to Ernest Dimnet, “Education is the methodical creation of the habit of thinking.” “Kids’ views are often just as valid as the teacher’s. The best teachers are the ones that know that.” Morley Safer As the “gatherer of information” in our classrooms, we should strive to uncover the thinking behind the answers. As educators we miss out on a huge opportunity for learning by not taking the time to diagnose the so-called wrong answers. How would our classrooms look and sound if we allowed learners to work in groups to self-assess their tests, and let them formulate their own rules for understanding information? Our challenge is to maximize learning without interfering with the child’s sense-making process. what children really know and understand, not just whether they have learned to follow directions. When teachers allow children to make sense of a task, they are actively engaged and thinking in a way that would not happen when they are directed through a task. Understanding means we make connections and see relationships. We “get it.” If teachers take the time to observe students and ask questions of them to find out what they understand, we will become aware that what is obvious to us is not always obvious to students. As it is for all learners, children must construct understanding for themselves. They must be allowed to go through the process of “getting it”. References Jensen, E (1995). Brain-based Learning and Teaching. Turning Point Publishing: Del Mar, CA Richardson, K (1997). Math Time: The Learning Environment. Educational Enrichment: Norman, OK. Stiggins, R; Arter, J; Chappuis, J and Chappuis, S (2004, 2006). Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Doing It Right-Using It Well . Educational Testing Service: Portland, OR. by Cathy Trahan According to Kathy Richardson (1997), when our focus is on how children perform rather than their understanding, we tend to simply teach children what to say or what to do; the long division algorithm comes to mind! We create illusions of learning that we often view as success but that in fact hide the lack of understanding. If we truly want to teach for understanding, then we need to know
Getting Students to Think Scientifically: Concept Mapping and Interactive Notebooks by Doug Lombardi For deep learning of scientific concepts, students must develop the abilities to understand and monitor what they do and do not know. In other words, we must teach students to think about their thinking, an idea that is commonly called metacognition. When students engage in metacognition, they are self-assessing their understanding. But teaching metacognitive knowledge (What have I learned?) and monitoring (How can I assess what I have learned?) must not occur as an independent exercise; there is far too much content that our students must know in order to gain scientific literacy and successfully achieve. It is critical that the student self-assessment be embedded within the science content we teach. The good news is that we can inject learning about metacognition into our science lessons with some simple, but effective, instructional strategies. Scientific Reasoning In our science classes, we must increase metacognitive awareness of scientific reasoning. Specifically, we need to get our students to think like a scientist. But how do scientists think and reason? Scientists are essentially experts in solving problems. Of course, solving problems is not unique to science, but scientists tend to approach problem solving using a framework for thinking. Furthermore, this framework is centered on fundamental scientific principles. For example, when considering a force and motion problem, a scientist would first think about the relevance of Newton’s Laws and their connection to understanding how objects move and react. On the other hand, students would tend to solve the problem by first finding the right equations (e.g., F = ma) and then figuring out how they could use the equation to get an answer (Anzai, 1991). Essentially, scientists solve problems by organizing their thinking around the Big Ideas that dominate their areas of research, whereas students solve problems based on superficial information. Organizing Thinking Around the Big Ideas of Science If we want to move students towards organizing their thinking around the big ideas of science, they need strategies to help them with their metacognitive understanding and monitoring. Two effective strategies are the use of concept mapping and interactive science notebooks. Concept Mapping Concept mapping can be used often during the course of the school year as a way for students to preview, review, and assess their conceptual understanding. Furthermore, concept mapping is an excellent tool for students to gauge how these concepts are linked with big science ideas. Within the first few days of school, students should experience concept mapping by reviewing the major concepts they have learned in previous years. For example, in the Clark County School District, most high school freshmen are enrolled in Principles of Science. Employing concept mapping at the beginning of the year will allow students to explore the connections between the big ideas they have learned in middle school life, Earth, and physical science. The figure below is a simple example showing how the big science idea of energy is linked to within these content areas. The concept map shown above is really a web, with the central idea in the center. To develop
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