Mathematics and Society - OS X Lion Server

DIDACTICSTEACHING VIA LAB APPROACHES5. Some middle schoolers are engineers? In commenting on the problem of choosingappropriate experiences for students, Davis gave this opinion based on theMadison Project's work:... fifth graders ... are "natura! inteUectua!s". . .. By contrast,seventh and eighth graders are not "inteUectuals;" it mightcome c!oser to say they are I~ngineers~t heart. For 7th and 8thgraders, the usua! sohoo! regime of sitting at desks, reading, writing,and reoiting seems to ignore the basio nature of the ohi!d at this age;he wants to move around physioa!!y to do things, to exp!ore, to takeohanoes, to bui!d things, and so on. At this age we prefer to get theohi!dren out of their seats and, where possible to get them out of theo!assroom and eVen to get them out of the sohoo!. [1964, pp. 149-150]Perhaps this is why many teachers have such success with laboratory lessons whichincorporate concrete materials.SMALL GROUPSgames,Small groups can be used in a variety of ways--review, drill,Many times laboratorylessons are organized around small groups of students.The reason is not necessarily a lack of equipment foreach student!There are several .potential benefits.LABAPPROACHES/e--~,---', COfJCRET£I ",MA.ERIALS, I\ I, ,/, ,5MALL GROUPSPerhaps the most desirable feature of small groups is that they maximize theopportunities for students to interact.is neglecting one of the main sources of classroom learning."1975, p. 8] Piaget has· indicated thatinteraction with others is an importantkey to mental development since studentsneed to get the views of others and toclarify their own.Learning to be acontributing member of a group, improvinglistening and communication skills,and even taking the responsibility forcareful treatment of materials are allworthwhile achievements.Small groups may help a class become more cohesive."The teacher who discourages peer interaction[Schmuck and Schmuck,Schmuck and Schmuck say,"Frequent interactions among students allow for possibilities of more cohesivenessto emerge; infrequent interaction generally keeps students from getting highly involvedwith one another." [1975, p. 159] In particular, small groups may be a tool49