from www.babygadget.net

I am a strong advocate for authentic inquiry where we allow students to pursue interesting problems and determine innovative, creative solutions.  In order for a student to build a strong repertoire of problem finding and solving skills, they must develop the necessary prerequisite skills and have a positive disposition to learning.  I often think back to the expertise literature from the creativity domain.  (Below, from LaBanca, 2008):

Experts of a domain structure their knowledge differently from novices (Chase & Simon, 1973; Chi, Glaser, & Rees, 1982; Feldhusen , 2005; Larken, McDermott, Simon, & Simon, 1980; Sternberg, 2001). Expert knowledge is centered on conceptual understanding, with the use of specific domain-based strategies (Driscoll, 2005). Expert problem finding and solving, therefore, is a utilization of pattern recognition based on previous experience and matching those patterns to corresponding aspects of a problem. Novices generally do not possess the same understanding, and, in turn, utilize more general, non-domain specific, problem finding and solving strategies (Driscoll, 2005).

In an instructional setting, some teaching practices lead to the conveying of decontexualized information, whereby students are unable to transfer what they have learned to relevant situations (Brown, Collins, and Duguid, 1989). Students, as novices, have difficulty solving complex, authentic problems because they “tend to memorize rules and algorithms” (Driscoll, 2005, p. 161). Experts would tend to use situational cues to solve problems. Because they have greater domain-specific content knowledge, experts approach finding and solving problems by recognizing and applying previously experienced patterns.

Simply put:

• Experience matters.
• Experience promotes higher levels of creativity.
• Experience makes better problem finders and solvers.

from newenglandsite.com

As a parent, I feel that part of my responsibility is to provide opportunities for my children to have diverse experiences which expose them to authentic problem solving experiences.  Today was one of those days.  As I was cleaning out the back of my car, I came across several kites.  I enjoy flying kites, but have never done this with my children.  Spontaneously, I packed them up, took a drive to Seaside Park in Bridgeport (probably the nicest beach on the Connecticut coast), and we set up shop.

Although my younger daughter Maggie (5) was not as impressed, my older daughter Anna (7) really got into it.  She was trying to figure out how to get the kite to stay in the air without crashing back to the sand on the beach.  Once the thing was about 100 feet in the air, I asked her how she got it so high.  She was able to give me a detailed explanation of how it works and some of the tricks that were necessary to work the kite.  This was without really any advice from me.  She tackled the problem and devised a solution using a trial and error strategy.

I think sometimes in science education, some get stuck in the mess of using only a hypothesis-based problem solving strategy.  That’s a shame because there are so many other ways to solve problems.  For example (from Wikipedia:)

1. Divide and conquer
2. Hill-climbing strategy, (also called gradient descent/ascent, difference reduction, greedy algorithm)
3. Means-ends analysis
4. Trial-and-error
5. Brainstorming
6. Morphological analysis
7. Method of focal objects
8. Lateral thinking
9. George Pólya‘s techniques in How to Solve It
10. Research
11. Assumption reversal
12. Analogy
13. Reduction (complexity)
14. Hypothesis testing
15. Constraint examination
16. Incubation
17. Build (or write) one or more abstract models of the problem
18. Try to prove that the problem cannot be solved.
19. Get help from friends or online problem solving community
20. Delegation: delegating the problem to others.
21. Root Cause Analysis
22. Working Backwards
23. Forward-Looking Strategy
24. Simplification
25. Generalization
26. Specialization
27. Random Search
28. Split-Half Method
29. The GROW model
30. TRIZ
31. Eight Disciplines Problem Solving
32. Southbeach Notation
33. The WWXXD Method:

Let’s really strategize to provide students with DIVERSE opportunities for problem solving in our classroom.  If I can do it unplanned with my children on a sunny, chilly, fall day at a beautiful beach, we can certainly find ways to to it in our classrooms.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1240086878

The fact of the matter is that objective assessments are here for a while.  How do we as teachers find the balance between objective assessments and authentic assessments? I am a strong proponent of authentic assessments:

• position (critical stance) papers
• lab reports
• poster presentations
• oral PowerPoint presentations
• Blog posts and responses

They so better provide a more realistic cognitive apprenticeship for students as they traverse their knowledge growth potential.  But for better or worse, there is an obligation for teachers to work with students and allow them to engage in more objective assessments:  timed tests on specific content.  I’ve often worked with teachers who indicate that they would NEVER use a multiple choice question.  They spout off some nonsense about the nature of the question.  However I would only agree with them if the multiple choice question is a fact check. 

I would classify types of questions (whether objective or authentic)  that teachers ask students into three major categories:

• factual
• conceptual
• analytical

Factual questions are just that:  checking facts.  Isolated information that stands alone.  Generally much lower on Bloom’s Taxonomy (knowledge/comprehension).  Conceptual and analytical questions, though, would fall under higher order thinking questions.  Conceptual questions: ill-defined allowing students to connect ideas together and draw on knowledge.  Analytical: well-defined, challenging students to interpret information or data, and make calculations. 

I’ve seen essay questions that were just as factual as a factual multiple chioce.  Conversely, when students are challenged to connect ideas or analyze information – that’s higher order thinking no matter what the format.

I often think back to a teacher that would tell me that his midterm exam had 300 multiple choice questions for the 2-hour period.  My students can barely complete 40 multiple choice during the same time frame.  Easy reason:  my questions require more thinking and analysis.  His only check facts.  My student test booklets are covered with notes, comments, calculations, and figures.  There certainly is something to it.  The challenge for educators is to put more emphasis on HOTS – no matter what the format.  Authentic assessment can stink just as much as some forms of objective assessment if it isn’t pushing students to higher levels of intellecuation.  

So, ultimately, it’s not what we ask students to do – it’s how we ask them to do it.

I’ve done more detailed posts about conceptual assessment here and here.

As a department chair, I am fortunate to have the opportunity (right now . . .) to be conducting a clinical observation of my physics teacher.  She started her class with a YouTube music video, which I must say is fantastic.  It really resonates with me on many levels.  I though it important to share it here.

Here are the lyrics from the website:

[deGrasse Tyson]
We are all connected;
To each other, biologically
To the earth, chemically
To the rest of the universe atomically[Feynman]
I think nature’s imagination
Is so much greater than man’s
She’s never going to let us relax

[Sagan]
We live in an in-between universe
Where things change all right
But according to patterns, rules,
Or as we call them, laws of nature

[Nye]
I’m this guy standing on a planet
Really I’m just a speck
Compared with a star, the planet is just another speck
To think about all of this
To think about the vast emptiness of space
There’s billions and billions of stars
Billions and billions of specks

[Sagan]
The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it
But the way those atoms are put together
The cosmos is also within us
We’re made of star stuff
We are a way for the cosmos to know itself

Across the sea of space
The stars are other suns
We have traveled this way before
And there is much to be learned

I find it elevating and exhilarating
To discover that we live in a universe
Which permits the evolution of molecular machines
As intricate and subtle as we

[deGrasse Tyson]
I know that the molecules in my body are traceable
To phenomena in the cosmos
That makes me want to grab people in the street
And say, have you heard this??

(Richard Feynman on hand drums and chanting)

[Feynman]
There’s this tremendous mess
Of waves all over in space
Which is the light bouncing around the room
And going from one thing to the other

And it’s all really there
But you gotta stop and think about it
About the complexity to really get the pleasure
And it’s all really there
The inconceivable nature of nature

Working with my neophyte teachers, we had an interesting discussion regarding the role of technology in the science classroom.  I strongly subscribe to the idea that teachers should not waste time designing and coding webpages. The fact of the matter is that science teachers have expertise in scientific concepts, not in web design.   Most of the teacher-designed webpages are unimpressive, aesthetically ugly, and lacking the power to promote increased student learning.

That’s where Web 2.0 is so critical. Teacher web presence is incredibly important, but teachers need to focus on CONTENT, not FORM.  So interactive sites like blogs and wikis provide opportunities for bidirectional knowledge flow.  Both the teacher and the students can be contributors to knowledge.  Blogs and wikis (and other Web 2.0 tools – podcasts, chats, Moodle, Google Docs) allow for the social construction of knowledge where all constituents can become producers.  Even better, these tools are preconstruted, have great skins, and look so professional.  Teachers don’t have to waste time with the form, but spend the time where they should – high quality content.  The interactivity also allows ease for contribution from students.  So more and more it becomes about science ideas instead of web page dynamics.

The Machine is Us/ing Us is a strong reminder of these ideas.

Last week in my graduate class I spent part of the class speaking about strategies for data analysis.  I found myself having the same conversation with my student teacher today trying to discuss using inquiry strategies as a method for analysis.  Many lab activities can have large quantities of data for examination.  The challenge, I think, is helping students discover their own inner voice for determining what to do with all of it.

Sure, I can precisely say what I expect them to do, but then I impose my values and attitudes, not to mention removing the critical thinking necessary to determine what is needed.  For example, this week my students are going to conduct an enzyme catalysis lab where they examine different environmental factors which influence enzyme activity over time, specifically: concentration, pH, and temperature.  Each group takes data every thirty seconds for 10 minutes (20 points per condition, ~8 conditions per group, ~ 10 groups = ~ 1600 data points)  Wow,  considering class data, that’s an awful lot of data.  But there is true value in it.  Over the years, students have consistently found the proper enzyme activity trends.

The challenge is determining what to do.  Students could certainly graph every point – but that would probably be a waste of time. Aren’t graphs supposed to show trends and summarize results?  Seeing everything probably would be of little value.  Ultimately, though I want my students to determine what is of value to them so they can draw the conclusions necessary to understand the scientific concepts.  Giving them the autonomy to make their own decisions ultimately gives the power to control their learning.

I think that’s a worthy goal!

from the town of Stratford

I often think back to Ralph Yulo’s important statement “Put your questions to nature,” when I engage students in field experiences. Last Thursday, I took my graduate science methods students to Great Meadows Marsh in Stratford. This has long been a favorite site for me because it is such a powerful example of the beauty and grandeur of nature and the impact of human activity.

Great Meadows sits on Long Island Sound to the south (Long Beach) and is surrounded by the Sikorsky Airport, Bridgeport to the west, and Lordship to the east. The drive into the area takes you right through the middle of the marsh, and you immediately gain a sense of the vastness of the area in comparison to the extensive development that surrounds it.

What I like best about the marsh is the enormity of the topics that can be discussed. I bring several activities for students to complete including:

• water chemistry (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity, etc.)
• bait fishing (using small minnow traps)
• finding interesting things.

I’ve described a meaningful marsh experience in a paper written for the Connecticut Journal of Science Education here.

What I always find to be the most powerful part of the experience, however, is the discussions that ensue.  I love to talk about edible marsh plants and often offer a sample of rose hip jelly, a taste of beach rose flowers or glasswort.  Jumping on an area of marsh always provides a powerful example of how absorbent and sponge-like the area is.  And the cautious eye of the student (or me) can often finding interesting science concepts embedded in the sand or the mud.

I think the real power in a successful trip stems from creating an environment that is conducive to questioning.  That’s where real inquiry IS!  I can provide structured activities for the students, but I think the real learning comes from their enthusiasm and excitement from wanting to learn something new about the world.  Those questions (both from them and me) are the intangibles of good teaching and learning. 

In essence, what’s not planned is as important as what IS planned. Sure there’s a bit of finese and experience required, but I think the end results are so powerful.

This article recently appeared in the Connecticut Post.  It caught my attention since it had an embedded video, but moreover, in my Forensics class, we’ve been talking about the crime scene.  This gives a classic example of a crime scene that is transient.  I think it will be an excellent example to share with the class.

By Genevieve Reilly
staff writer

FAIRFIELD — A police officer was injured by a woman who sped away from officers investigating why she stopped in the middle of an intersection Friday afternoon, triggering a short chase that was recorded on videotape by a neighbor.

Officer Michael Guilfoyle came upon January Wilson, 29, of Melville Drive, in a car stopped in the middle of an intersection on Church Hill Road. Guilfoyle approached the car, but Wilson refused to respond to verbal requests for her to open her window, police said. Eventually, Guilfoyle broke the passenger-side window and reached in to open the door. But Wilson backed into the police cruiser parked behind her, and as Guilfoyle again tried to get into the car, she hit the gas, causing the officer to fell to the ground, police said.

The video shows Guilfoyle collapse as he attempts to walk back to his cruiser.

Wilson sped around another police cruiser, up onto a lawn and then back onto the street. However, other officers dispatched to the scene soon overtook her.

She was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, where she remained as of Monday.

Guilfoyle was also treated at the hospital for pains in his stomach and upper thigh.

Sgt. James Perez, the police spokesman, said Wilson has not yet been charged in connection with the incident because she was taken to the hospital, but she will face charges.

Wow!

The Beach Rose, Rosa rugosa, is a plant commonly found along the beaches of Long Island Sound.  It is a particularly interesting plant because its leaves are quite textural, it produces beautiful flowers, either white or pink, and of course, it produces a fruit called a rose hip.  My main website (www.labanca.net) has a picture of the flower near the Edgartown Lighthouse, and I have a description of the Beach Rose in my “Coastal Plants of New England” Project.

Today I went to Great Meadows Marsh, in Straford because I will be teaching my Methods in Science class there this Thursday.  I usually prepare for these field experiences by visiting ahead of time to ensure that my expectations for the site are correct.  As usual, the marsh and beach areas look great for study.  The site is particularly interesting because much flotsam and jetsam washes up on shore from all of the extensive human activity and development in the surrounding areas.

I spent some time on this beautiful Sunday afternoon picking some rose hips from the beach rose trees.  Rose hips are commonly used in many herbal teas, but they also make a very nice jam.  I’ve made a small batch that I will bring Thursday afternoon.

Here’s my recipe:

1 Granny Smith Apple (everything, seeds, core, stems – lots of pectin)
1 Quart of Rose Hips
3 cups of water
2 cups of sugar
pinch of salt

from: www.pakalil.com

My department chair colleagues and I at Oxford High School attended a professional development session in the Hartford XL Center along with a crowd of about 19,000 others for a day-long program referred to as “Get Motivated!”  The program was billed as having major (and I mean MAJOR) speakers to inspire, motivate, teach team building, perseverance, and leadership skills to the audience.  Sounded like a powerful day, especially with a line up including Joe Montana, Laura Bush, Rudy Giuliani, and Colin Powell. 

The program began with an MC introducing Joe Montana who came out, gave a 20-minute talk about stories from his professional career, followed by Laura Bush, who spoke, also for about 20 minutes about her passions and life in the public eye.  Both speakers were fairly good, but seem to capture more of “stories from the past” than learned lessons that can be transferred to other’s life situations. 

Then came the circus.  .  .  A motivational speaker (actually pretty good) who told me that no one ever remembers a critic and critics are there to find faults in things.   Uggg, I guess that I am going to be unmemorable based on what I say from here out.  The following speaker talked about financial success and effectively working the market.  I initially found his talk very interesting and thought provoking, until the pitch came.  “But wait . . . if you call now we’ll supersize your order to two jars of oxyclean . . .”  Was Billy Mayes speaking to us from the netherworld?   The speaker actually talked about the specific software that was necessary to track stocks the way he described.  Normally ~$3,100.  Wow!  But he worked a special deal for those who were in attendance today . . . the whole package for $99.  Could this be?  The whole thing for just over 3% of the original cost?  But you have to act now.  You need to sign up for the seminar for either next week or the week after.  Come to one of the tables on the floor of the XL center or go to one of the tables on the promenade.  AND DID THEY COME!  I just couldn’t get over how many people were ready to jump for this.  Must have been the free red canvas bag that was given with each purchase.  Don’t worry, the purchase was fully refundable after the first day of the 2-day seminar if you didn’t like it. 

Following Mr. Sell-a-stock, the co-founder of the Get Motivated! seminar came out and gave a patronizing, contrived speech about sales and individuals’ “motivational DNA,”  complete with a “rap” of her spiritual values.   But don’t worry, she was also selling something, too:  her new book.  But wait, it also comes with pleanty of free-bees, valued at over $1000.  I guess it’s easy to give away $1000 when its really worth nothing.  Fill out the card, go online, yadda yadda.  What is going on here?  I am still waiting to learn something that can help me out in my job as a department chair and an instructional leader.   Maybe I’m just being too much of a cynic.  After all, it really does seem that the mission of this organization is to promote motivation and leadership.  I’m just not sure about some of the extracurricular tangential strategies that go along with it.

But I did listen carefully . . . There was a free “Motivational DNA” survey that I could take online to get my motivational DNA profile.  I completed this instrument online, just before this post as I sit in the emergency room at the hospital.  (I punctured my foot on a rusty nail, need a tetanus shot, etc.) This was very powerful.  It really makes sense to me and its description of my motivational style. At the risk of being too cheeky, I’ll post my results below.

1. Options are vital for your motivational style. Make a list of a dozen ways to accomplish your goal. Then mix it up. Do a little of everything on the list. PVI Visionaries get bored with the same old, same old. 2. Create a customized plan for achieving your objectives. If something doesn’t work for you, don’t force yourself to do it—eliminate it. Find a better way—something enjoyable that works. 3. Make a detailed record of why your goal is important to you. How will you (and others) benefit if you achieve the goal and what are the consequences if you don’t?

from: csb.yale.edu

In all honesty, I left at lunch, because I was so disappointed with the content.  I also found out that Giuliani and Powell wouldn’t be presenting until the end of the day, and I had family obligations that brought me home instead of listening to more pitchmen before these keynote speakers.  So here I sit wondering what I’ve learned, and I’m not too sure.  Certainly this motivational DNA instrument is interesting. Although as a good researcher, I want to know if it is reliable and valid.  I think the “Visionary” description does describe me well, although I wonder if its a perceived ideal of myself.  I walk away knowing that I don’t like the pitch as subterfuge of a motivation and leadership conference.  I also walk away thinking about the professional development I do and want to make sure I think very carefully about the values that I often impose and how it might be perceived by my audience.