Re: [Phys-l] Inquiry

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@saintmarys.edu>]

One of the major problems, based on my work with in-service teachers  
is that they don't know what we do when we function as scientists.   
They only know what they saw when they were lectured at in school or  
what they are told about content by authoritative folks.  Further  
they are so strongly framed by their direct instruction vision that  
they easily morph other ideas about teaching into some form of direct  
instruction.  In other words, their prior ideas about teaching  
severely constrains their ability to think about science teaching in  
any other way.....sound familiar?

That is the problem with most professional development that seeks to  
change the culture of the science classroom from teacher centered  
direct instruction to student centered guided inquiry.  This is sea  
change in the role of the teacher in the classroom.  So unless the pd  
guides the teacher to an new vision of what it is that scientists  
really do in the privacy of their own workspace, it is likely to fail.

I use McDermott PBI as a model for how science is done.  It  works  
well, and resonates with the approach found in most NSF funded  
instruction materials.

joe
Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556

On Feb 25, 2009, at 11:04 AM, Woolf, Lawrence wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu On Behalf Of Joseph  
> Bellina
> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 6:57 AM
> To: Forum for Physics Educators
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Inquiry
>
> I think part of the vision of guided inquiry is that students learn
> in ways that are similar to how scientists learn new things...but
> doing, discussing, being wrong often, writing, reading, etc.
>
> ==================================================
>
> Similar points are nicely discussed in the following:
>
> What Are the Similarities between Scientific Research and Science  
> Education Reform?
>
> Cherilynn A. Morrow, Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado
>
> "This 7-page paper offers a direct analogy between the process of  
> scientific research and a process of teaching science that is  
> consistent with modern science education reform. The "Monotillation  
> of Traxoline" is reprinted here for your enjoyment."
>
> <http://www.spacescience.org/education/extra/ 
> resources_scientists_cd/Source/Similar.pdf>
>
> Larry Woolf
>
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