Entry #9 - Nov. 2, 1998
"I don't mean to sound like a sales pitch, but I think these
units are a cut above what I've been using in my classes so far. If the
'oohs' and 'ahhs' of the teachers are any indication, I think the kids are
in for a real treat."
What a week. I just completed a week's worth of training at the National
Science Resources Center at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. My training
was in preparation for a field test of an STC (Science and Technology for
Children) unit on catastrophic events like storms, earthquakes and volcanoes.
In the past, I've attended lots of science training sessions and I've piloted
new kits. I've even developed new units with teams of educators and developers,
but this was different. My other efforts were serious, and I have a great
deal of respect for the folks I've worked with and the lessons we developed,
but I don't think we hit on the progression of concepts in our lessons that
was presented this week.
Inquiry-based learning and a constructivist approach are not jargon or educationese
for me. The first time I heard these labels I felt affirmed, like my goals
and approach made sense to other people too. I was happy to learn that I
was part of a movement to reform science education. But something still
wasn't clicking for the kids. Even though I was using these methods, it
sometimes felt inconsistent, like it was hit-or-miss. There's always been
this nagging sensation that although my students enjoy my labs and projects,
they don't leave me with enough of the solid concepts under their belts.
This week we completed a series of 25 activities, at least three major assessments,
and a variety of anchor and extension possibilities. It's always interesting
to meet teachers from around the country, and it was a kick to be at "the
Smithsonian Institute," but otherwise I thought it was going to be
the usual drill. You go to your sessions, you try out the lessons and materials,
and you take what you like back -- usually leaving a fair amount behind.
But this time the leader kept hammering away about how she'd really like
feedback about the progression and whether the whole package worked. She
stressed the need for us to try the unit as written before we began to adapt
and modify things. To be honest, I listened politely and nodded where appropriate,
but figured I'd do what I needed to when I got back home. Somewhere around
the end of the second day it became clear that there was something more
going on at these sessions and there was some tension in the air. We were
being pushed by this work and we were pushing back. Questions and break-time
discussions about whether we really needed to do "all" of these
activities or test "all" of our students emerged.
As the unit progressed, I began to see that certain concepts and activities
were really built on one another and I began to change my mind. Or maybe
I should say the unit began to change my mind for me. Now, I'm really excited
about this field test. I'm glad I'll be using it with all three of my eighth-grade
classes and I'm anxious to see how they do on the performance tests that
we'll administer.
I began to wish I could attend the other sessions too. There were other
groups learning about units on human body systems, energy and motion, and
matter and molecules. I don't mean to sound like a sales pitch, but I think
these units are a cut above what I've been using in my classes so far. If
the "oohs" and "ahhs" of the teachers are any indication,
I think the kids are in for a real treat. I'm especially excited about some
of the models the kids will design to mimic the Earth's plates and the way
they move. I've been searching for ways to make these concepts concrete
and I think these models do the trick.
A teacher from the human body group said their material raised instruction
from the usual "name that system" approach to an understanding
of the complex interactions of the body as a whole. On a similar note, our
unit connects the range of catastrophic events and showed how and why they're
related. I can't wait to see how my kids respond.
On the train ride home I began to worry about my classroom and how it will
look on Monday morning. On top of that I'm concerned about the morale of
the staff, myself included. My principal got the
job [in a nearby suburban district] and will be leaving us soon. I'm
sure next week's entry will be devoted to the roller coaster of selecting
a new administrator.
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