Approaches to Science Teaching

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Approaches to Science Teaching
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School Science (Normal science teaching)

• Accurate content in lessons
• Clear expectations
• Well-managed classroom
• Fair, predictable grading
• Content as facts, definitions, diagrams, skills

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The Bargain of School Science

• Teachers are clear and reasonable about what they
  expect
• Students comply with expectations

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Bad Science Teaching

• Content mistakes
• Arbitrary grading
• Poor management
• Unclear content
• Excessive demands
• Not keeping the teachers side of the school
  science bargain

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Excellent Science Teaching Going Beyond the
School Science Bargain

• Teaching for understanding Content as integrated
  knowledge and practice
• Motivating students to learn Expectancy times
  value
• Understanding and connecting with students
• Exhibiting curiosity and rigor in your teaching
  and learning

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Teaching for understanding Content as integrated
knowledge and practice

• WYDIWYL What you do is what you learn

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Motivating students to learn Expectancy times
value

• Expectancy The learners belief about how likely
  he or she is to be successful in a task or
  activity
• Value The value the the learner places on
  success
• Motivation depends on the product of expectancy
  and value
• Examples from your experience

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Understanding and connecting with students

• Connecting with students personally
• Understanding students socially and culturally
• Understanding students thinking about science

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Excellent teachers have a secret
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they work harder.
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Characteristics from Vignettes that Require
Sustained Work

• Superior knowledge Using demonstrations
  Connections to real-life examples
• Different kinds of assessment Regular testing
  Written feedback Availability, approachability
  Respect for students
• Flexible techniques Good organization Noticing
  good behavior and answers that reveal
  understanding Decorations Using student work
  Making resources available to students
• Keeping up to date Collaboration, colleagues
  (locally and nationally) Outside speakers
  Sharing resources

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The Bargain for This Program

• Support for learning normal science teaching
• Expectation that you will learn to keep your side
  of the normal science teaching bargain
• Opportunities to become an excellent science
  teacher

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Assignments for Next Week

• Tuesday Teaching Science for Motivation and
  Understanding, pages 9-17, 54-61
• There will be a vocabulary quiz (see index and
  italicized words) on Tuesday
• Thursday Teaching Science for Motivation and
  Understanding, pages 17-25
• Do the first part of the Topic Analysis
  Assignment before class on Thursday.
• Bring your reading packet to class on Thursday.