OK, so, what the heck happened over these 15 days?
1) There's a better way to teach science than powerpoint lectures & cookie-cutter labs.
Granted, my powerpoints tend to be more interesting than a standard teacher's, thanks to my training thru the National Association for Interpretation (https://www.interpnet.com/). I'm not a super great interpreter like some of my former coworkers at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, but I understand the concept -- short, sweet, connected to real life. Doing is always better than listening or note-taking.
2) If you don't say it, you don't understand it.
Whiteboarding (& especially the discussions that follow) are a sneaky way to get kids to teach each other. "Why did you do that?" "Is there another way?" "I think you're saying this, but am I right?" Sure, they're learning how to work together & have arguments about the data, but they're also hammering out how physics actually works. (This is kinda how I learned algebra in high school -- I'd help a friend with homework over the phone. Talk about a challenge!) My warm-up questions almost always have an "& why" portion to them, so making the jump to whiteboard discussions hopefully won't be too hard. (Altho, granted, it will take some practice.) & just for fun: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8742/did-einstein-say-if-you-cant-explain-it-simply-you-dont-understand-it-well-en
3) This workshop assumes you have the necessary equipment.
We used tons of Vernier equipment (http://www.vernier.com/) throughout this workshop, & we don't have any at my school. A few times Don or Laura said, "Well, you could do it this other way" but we never did it those other ways. I'll probably use some of my stipend to buy some equipment -- my budget was due when school ended -- & I'm already looking for grants. People said that ISDs sometimes have equipment to loan out ... but Van Buren doesn't. My friend in the chemistry workshop is having the same problem. So we'll see how well I can adjust things.
4) This was very helpful for a tentative physics teacher; doing it again would be super helpful.
So I've got 20 years of field biology experience. My physics is rusty/ minimal but (once I pass my class this summer) I'll have my DI endorsement & my principal will have me teach physics. Which is fine, I was planning on adding the physics endorsement eventually, I just thought I'd have time to take a few classes & brush up on the content. So this class was great -- physics content & modeling instruction. I'd like to take it again in a few years when I've got the content under control & see what I missed pedagogy-wise. https://fnoschese.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/my-tedxnyed-session-learning-science-by-doing-science/
5) I can see a few ways to apply this to biology already.
To be honest, I've got 4 brand-new preps next year (Science 7C, Science 8A, & Physics A & B) so I won't be making any major changes to biology. I'm hoping that a biology modeling workshop is offered next summer -- I can't work it into my schedule this summer & I really shouldn't try, considering how much I have to get ready before September. This is why I signed up for the biology list-serv. (I wondering if the bio focus will be cellular & smaller or organismal & larger.) http://www.gettingpractical.org.uk/documents/SSRBIologyfieldwork_000.pdf
6) Could this be integrated into teacher preparation programs?
I went thru an alternative program for career-changers, the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship. We talked a lot about concepts similar to modeling (& a couple of our professors had great talk moves) but we never had a modeling class. Why not? Why isn't one offered in the undergrad program? I'm just starting my 2nd year as a teacher so everything is still new to me, but some of the more experienced teachers were like "This changes everything!" This technique is documented to work -- even with "problem" kids -- so why isn't it more widespread? (The program at Western: http://wmich.edu/teaching/academics/secondary/index.html)
7) This was totally worth the 4 weeks.
& I'm glad our workshop wasn't three 5-day weeks -- I really needed the extra time to process. Even if there wasn't a stipend involved, this was totally worth it. I made connections with local (& not-so-local) teachers, I increased my Twitter presence (altho I might not tweet much now that class is over), & I improved my content & pedagogy both. & luckily, I got to carpool most days so the drive wasn't quite so bad. Sadly, tho, this workshop interfered with my regular summer job at the nature center (http://naturecenter.org/), so I missed out on hearing Wood Thrush singing every day at work. Still worth it, don't get me wrong, but the missing out on the Wood Thrush is a real regret.
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