Course Assignment-Reflection 6

This week's reflection is about the service learning model, this model is connected with school curriculum and involves service learning. Sometimes service learning can be mistaken with community service, one of the main differences is in service learning the most important part is develop meaningful learning while doing service. But what exactly is service learning?
Lovat & Clement (2016) affirm that “service learning can be seen to accord with neuroscientific notions concerned with sociality as a feature of human development, social intelligence as an artifact of cognition, and the nurturing of empathic character as essential to effective teaching and learning” in other words being involved in service learning can strength social interactions and social affections during learning process.
Service learning then is considered a research-based method that includes a learning process that helps to address a real need in a specific community. Students are encouraged and guided to investigate a real problem and the resources they have. Then students prepare and plan activities to address the necessity, in this phase students use books, the internet, and other resources to identify the best ways to solve the necessity they found. When students are ready with their plan the logic next step is action. Now students are ready to practice all the information they found to benefit the community, in this stage students are in a continuous learning process, they can make changes to improve their plan and execution.
After the action stage, reflection come into a play. In this part of the process, students can reflect not only on what they learned but also about the skills they used to help in order to achieve during their service in the community. Reflection can appear before, during and after the process and can lead the students to better understand the overall process.
The final stage of the process in the demonstration of what students learned, is at this stage that students can share their knowledge and the experience during all the process of service learning.
After analyzing this model some ideas come to my mind in order to develop proposals using it. For example, guiding students to make a research about the impact of social media in their communities and identify real needs in their community. Another idea is a proposal about the impact of the electronic waste in the community, and identify real needs to involve various groups within a school. I also have some questions about the implementation. How can service learning be used in online communities? Can social media be used as part of service learning?
I think service learning is a good opportunity to develop more conscious citizens and at the same time encourage significant learning. Students can develop learning in context and at the same time helping to solve problems identified by them, in this way they can be aware of how their knowledge can be used in a meaningful way.

References

Kaye, C. B. (2010). The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum, and social action (2nd ed.). Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing

Lovat, T., & Clement, N. (2016). Service learning as holistic values pedagogy. Journal of Experiential Education, 39(2), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053825916628548

Course assignment - Reflection 5

Course assignment - Reflection 5

The topic of this weeks’ reflection is the Problem-Based learning. This instructional method is conceived as one of the most innovative in educational settings. The first field that used this method was the medical field. Medical students needed experience solving real life problems. After excellent results in the medical field, fields like administration, physics, nutrition, criminal justice and education have adopted the problem-based learning. The problem-based learning was created following some core aspects of the constructivism like individual and group knowledge gained through social interactions and reinforced by the educational environment, multiple perspectives allow learners to construct their knowledge.

The goal of problem-based learning increases students’ learning in order to let them solve problems related to their field. To achieve this, it is necessary to construct significant problems, that allow students to address simulations and finally solve the problems.

There are some aspects during problem-based instruction: is required to create groups with no more than 6 students, during group work students will try to identify and define the problem to later work to complete assignments that help them to generate a hypothesis to solve the problem.

As teachers, we need to identify a different kind of skill that problem-solving can help us to strength in our students. Empirical evidence showed that higher order thinking, self-directed learning, self-perception, and confidence are some of the skills that students can strength while working with PBL.

I have used this approach once, but I would like work in a proposal to implement a better-planned project. I would like to use problem-based learning with the use of technology to solve real life problems, I still have questions about what kind of subject to use but I really like the idea of implementing this instructional method.

As mentioned by Hande, Mohammed & Komattil (2015) in their empirical study, the problem-based learning approach helped students to acquire generic skills and favorable attitude and behavior. For my proposal, I would like to use the approach to not only acquire knowledge but to help students to contextualize it in their real life.

I would like to develop certain kind of problems related to the implementation of mathematics and technology in students’ real life contexts. I always remember that mostly all my math teachers could not answer the question: What I can do with this (mathematics knowledge like derivatives, integrates, etc.) in real life? So now as a Ph.D. student I would like to contribute in this area even when I am not a mathematics teacher I think I can develop a project to address this problem, I still have questions on the implementation of problem-based learning like: how can I integrate technology and mathematics in an interesting project for students, how can I engage students in math projects?

References

Hande, S., Mohammed, C. A., & Komattil, M. (2015). Acquisition of knowledge, generic skills, and attitudes through problem-based learning: Student perspectives in a hybrid curriculum. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 10(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2014.01.008

Hung, W., Jonassen, D. H., & Liu, R. (2007). Problem-based learning. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. van Merrienboer, & M. P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (Vol. 1) (pp. 485–506). New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Course assignment- Reflection 4

The reflection for this week is about the Scientific Inquiry. According to Schwartz, Lederman & Crawford (2003), scientific inquiry includes students centered projects, is constructed with daily practice, and provide students with a great opportunity to have social construction and understanding of concepts and phenomena. Basically, the scientific inquiry has a close relationship with the process used by scientists to study the world and give an explanation of certain phenomena, the explanation they give is mainly derived from their observations.

Translated to the educational field the scientific inquiry is a scientific process that provides students with questions and suggests methods to understand and discover relationships in different phenomena. Using the scientific inquiry can help students to also more accurate critical thinking competence, discover real science, be aware of the research process, etc.

The Scientific inquiry process is the result of some findings from the NRC that include the following:

1.     understanding science is more than knowing facts, this finding shows us the process in which scientists make connections between their conceptual frameworks.

2.     Students build new knowledge and understand based on what they already know and believe, it means that students can have experience in scientific phenomena and its process to build new explanations.

3.     Students formulate new knowledge by modifying and refining their current concepts, it means that by using the scientific inquiry students can find better ways to answer questions and to finally explain certain events or facts.

4.     Learning is mediated by the social environment, it means that the scientific inquiry is richer when students share and realize different aspects by socializing findings.

5.     Effective learning requires students taking control of their own learning, it means that students should identify the different phases of a project to be able to decide the different types of evidence they need.

6.     The ability to apply knowledge to novel situations is affected by the degree that students learn with understanding, when students find tasks and assignments useful they can appreciate how they increase their skill level.

The whole process of scientific inquiry allows students to be engaged, collect evidence to answer questions, create and formulate explanations based on the collected evidence, evaluate their explanations in light of their scientific understanding, communicate and justify explanations. If one of these phases is missing, the scientific inquiry process is described as partial. It is necessary to apply all the phases to have scientific inquiry project.

I consider this educational approach as ideal, I would like to use it in a proposal to help students to better understand daily life events like pollution or the increasing number of technological waste. I think that the method can be effective addressing a new understanding of the problem and find plausible solutions for students. When students have the opportunity to make research on their own is more feasible to have significant learning and critical thinking that results in different behaviors. In that proposal I would like to answer questions like: What are the effects of technological waste in your community? What can you do to help the environment?

About the scientific inquiry model, I would like to know if someone has used it in other disciplines but science, like social sciences. I find the process pretty related with the research method, but I am not sure that can be applied using the same methodical process.

References:

Bybee, R., Bloom, M., Phillips, J., & Knapp, N. (2005). Doing Science: The process of Scientific Inquiry. Center      for Curriculum Development. Colorado Springs, CO.

Schwartz, R., Lederman, N., & Crawford, B. (2003). Developing views of nature of science in an authentic context: An explicit approach to bridging the gap between nature of science and scientific inquiry. Science Teacher Education, 88(4), 610–645. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10128

Course assignment – Reflection 3

This week’s reading is “The BSCS 5E Instructional Model: Origins and Effectiveness”. As the title states, this report presents a history background. This background includes different science instructional models developed in the past, and that have been the precursors for models like 5E Instructional models.

            The report also includes comparisons between different instructional models and their principal characteristics. Some of the models presented in this report are Dewey’s instructional model, Heiss, Obourn, and Hoffman’s learning cycle model, and SCIS model. All these models were the evolving to allow actual instructional models to be applied in science classrooms.

            The basic components of the 5E Instructional models are 5E. Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. These phases can be applied in different educational levels and be follow in the curriculum lessons. Basically, with all these phases students can have a significant impact in their science classes learning.

            The report of this specific instructional model includes several tables that help the reader to identify the specific characteristics of the model, for example: What students does, and what teacher does, specifically in each one of the five phases. This table includes a comparison with the actions consistent with the model, and actions inconsistent with the model.

            Finally, the report present empirical evidence of the implementation of the 5E instructional model in fifth and sixth grades science classes. The evidence reports evidence that increases knowledge but only in some areas, while in others the evidence is not adequate to make judgments.

            According to with the evidence presented in the report, I think it is necessary to further evaluation of the Instructional models in different school grades and science related subjects. For example, it can be useful have some similar evaluations in science classes to make a comparative study of the outcomes that students have after the implementation of the 5E instructional model in science classes.

            For example, Lin, Cheng, Chang, Li, Chang, & Lin (2014) present empirical quantitative and qualitative data about the implementation of the 5E instructional model in a middle school classroom. The implementation consisted on the implementation of the 5E along together with Science Magic activities for each one of the phases in the model. Like this study, I would like to implement hands-on activities and implement the 5E model to measure students’ outcomes.

            I have a question about the 5E model. How would be using 5E model using at the same time with STAAR or Common Core State Standards? For the proposal, I would like to have a central question, How effective is the 5E model to promote science concepts and procedures knowledge to middle school students?

            In general, the 5E model represents a step by step model that allow students to develop understanding and knowledge of science, but it really needs that both teacher and students follow the model in science classes to be successful in its implementation.

Reference

Lin, J.-L., Cheng, M.-F., Chang, Y.-C., Li, H.-W., Chang, J.-Y., & Lin, D.-M. (2014). Learning activities that combine science magic activities with the 5E instructional model to influence secondary-school students’ attitudes to science. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 10(5), 415–426.

Course assignment – Reflection 2

The reading provides a context about the idea of conceptual change. First, the author provides some examples about how the conceptual change is used in Science research, and then provides empirical evidence about how conceptual change is applied in a science class. The article premise is to discover the process through conceptual change is made.

In order to have a conceptual change it is necessary feel some kind of problem with the actual conceptual knowledge in order to let the conceptual change to take place in our minds. Another important aspect of conceptual change process, is the necessity of representation of new ideas. A conceptual change can take place only when our mind is capable to represent and visualize new ideas or concepts.

The text recognizes the significance of reviewing prior ideas to make new accommodations, replacing them for justifiable ideas that fit in our mind to connect new information and findings with old conceptual ideas.

The Conceptual change theory is a concept that can be easily used to do research in STEM education in all levels. Specially in those classes when students confront theory and practice, can be used to better understand how they confront their understanding of theory and the application of practice in order to have a conceptual change more related with their real context and with better understanding of STEM classes. Some ideas for possible proposals are: How students face conceptual change in the application of math formulas, this idea could be applied in all educational levels but would be more significant to understand the way middle school and high school students understand some of the formulas they applied and the conceptual change that can represent the application of those formulas in their real context. For this proposal I would like to explore the conceptual change after apply algebra concepts in high schoolers real life.

Another proposal idea could be: How a conceptual change is made by understanding the basic programming paradigms in the daily use of cell applications. This proposal can approximate students to develop 21^st century skills by understanding the basic functions of their favorite application and have a conceptual change that give them a more critical thinking when using those applications.

After reading this week article I have some questions, clearly the article talks about conceptual change in science field, however I wonder conceptual change theory can be fully applied to the social sciences? Can a conceptual change be plausible when teachers apply NGSS in their STEM classes? how?   

In general, for me the idea of conceptual change is a logical step in the education of this century. I think is responsibility of teacher to apply classroom practices that commit students to think in different ways that allow them to constantly change their understanding of the different concepts they deal with in class. It is only with this type of education that all students could have a better understanding of the phenomena that affects their real world and that can allow them to solve the problems they will face in the course if their lifetime.

References

Posner, G. J., Strike, K. A., Hewson, P. W., Gertzog, W. A. (1982). Accomodation of a scientific conception: Toward a theory of conceptual change. Science Education 66(2), 211-227.

Riley, T. L., & Karnes, F. A. (1998). Mathematics + competitions = a winning formula!. Gifted Child Today Magazine, 21(4), 42.