Uncovering Student Ideas in Science NSTA Web Seminar

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Uncovering Student Ideas in ScienceNSTA Web
Seminar

• Francis Eberle Lynn Farrin
• Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance

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Featuring
YES
NO
By Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin
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Mark the box that describes you
I attended the first Uncovering Student Ideas in Science web seminar in April and I tried out one of the probes with a group.
I attended the first Uncovering Student Ideas in Science web seminar in April.
I did not attend the first Uncovering Student Ideas in Science web seminar in April.
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Who Are You?
K-4 Teacher 5-8 Teacher 9-12 Teacher
Pre-Service Faculty Scientist Informal Educator
Professional Developer Administrator Other
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In This Session We Will

• Review What is and the Purpose of Formative
  Assessment Probes
• Examine Samples of Students Ideas
• Explore Instructional Implications How Probes
  can help Instruction and Programs
• Overview of Using Formative Assessment
• Try a Probe and Reflect Assignment

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Think Share Discuss using the chat or volunteer
to share your ideas about this comic with the
group.
Please unmute your phone line (6) if you are
asked to respond.
We could be the 1st to land on a quarter moon!
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Key Finding from How People Learn
Students come to the classroom with
preconceptions about how the world works. If
their initial understanding is not engaged, they
may fail to grasp the new concepts and
information that are taught, or they may learn
them for purposes of a test but revert to their
preconceptions outside the classroom.
How People Learn, Bransford, Brown Cockling.
pp 14-15
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Assessment for Learning

• To make assessment formative,
• one has to do something with the
• information gathered and
• change or modify instruction
• for all students.

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The Mitten Problem(Uncovering Student
Ideas in Science. page 103)

• Mrs. Solórzano's class was investigating heat
  energy. She asked students what they thought
  would happen to the temperature reading on two
  thermometers- one thermometer was placed inside
  a mitten and another thermometer was placed on
  the table next to a mitten.

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Poll Question
Which response do you think students will select?

• - The thermometer inside the mitten will have a
  lower temperature reading than the thermometer on
  the table.
• - The thermometer inside the mitten will have a
  higher temperature reading than the thermometer
  on the table.
• - Both thermometers will have the same
  temperature.

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Using Formative Assessment Probes
Reprobing
Apply modifications (e.g., teaching in new
context, engaging in an inquiry, etc.
1. Probe Students Commit and Share Ideas
New Topic
2. Teacher Review
3. Instructional Implications
Sort by A, B or by tally, or by patterns of
response
Analyze Student Ideas
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The Mitten Problem- Student Responses for Choice
A
I think its dark and probably cooler inside the glove the temperature will be lower. There is no light or warmth in the mitten.
Due to the shade inside the mitten, the temperature may be lower.
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The Mitten Problem- Student Responses for Choice
B
Because the thermometer inside the mitten has insulation that would hit it quicker than the one on the table.
There is more heat in a confined space which would increase the temperature by a little.
The mitten is warmer because the amount of energy is concentrated in the mitten, more than the outside.
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The Mitten Problem- Student Responses for Choice
C
There is nothing inside the mitten creating energy or heat, therefore it stays the same temperature as the air around it.
Neither of the thermometers are giving off heat to be reflected back on them so the mitten if at room temp isnt keeping heat in, there is no friction and air is circulating to both materials.
I think they will be the same because the thermometer is not moving around. When your hand is in the glove, it works with it to create heat. With just a thermometer, its not working with the glove to make heat.
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The Mitten Problem-Considerations about
Students Ideas

• Prior knowledge (formal, informal learning,
  intuitive rules)
• Particularly difficult or complex ideas
  emergent or naïve understanding
• Commonly used language

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Student Responses- Mitten Problem N16
A
B
C
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Poll question

• What grade level do you think the Mitten Problem
  data represents?

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Some Commonly Held Ideas
Grade Levels Student Ideas
K-5 Elementary Cant distinguish between the ideas of heat and temperature
6-8 Middle Heat is related to hot and cold objects not energy
9-12 High Heat makes things rise
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(No Transcript)
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Probe Can It Reflect Light? (Uncovering Student
Ideas in Science, p 25)
Water Gray rock Leaf
Mirror Rusty nail Wax paper
Milk Wood Shiny metal
Glass Potato skin Crumpled paper
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Virtually Analyze Student Ideas Can it Reflect
Light?
? ? ?
? ? ?

• 1. Things that are shiny and new reflect
  light.
• 2.My rule on if items reflect light is that
  every item must reflect light because if an item
  didnt reflect light we wouldnt be able to see
  the object. So everything reflects light.
• 3.I was pretending I was shinning a light on the
  object and see if the light would bounce back.
  The rule is reflection.

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Strategies Bridging Formative Assessment to
Instruction

• Student Idea Sampling
• Philosophy Chairs
• Classroom Circle
• Peer/Student Marking
• Partial Marking- (e.g. 4 of 6 answers are
  correct You find which are not and correct.)

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Teaching and Learning Process

• Identifying students misconceptions
• Review and reflect and make any changes or
  modifications in instruction
• Provide contexts for students to confront their
  misconceptions and share their thinking
• Help students reconstruct their knowledge using
  appropriate science ideas and instructional
  strategies

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Now you have to try a Probe!

Thank you,Francis and Lynn