I thought that this chapter made a lot of sense. Most of the information was a review of what we have learned in previous classes. I think that reviewing the cognitive processes is important because they affect all aspects of teaching. It is extremely important to make sure that topics chosen to cover in class are age appropriate. Knowing what cognitive level the students are at will help teachers to be more aware of what the students can grasp a hold of.
I also thought that the section on “Enhancing the learning of science with understanding” was interesting. It allowed me to understand the importance of different teaching techniques in the classroom. Each technique discussed also had support for how it could be utilized in the classroom. An easy example provided in the textbook was a “knowledge structure”. These are used all of the time in many different classes, and are helpful to students because they organize the information for them.
The mini lessons in this chapter were also informative. I really enjoyed the one on the phases of the moon. It is a simple way for the students to do a hands-on activity with something that is known to be somewhat confusing.
Piaget reminds us that there is a readiness factor when it comes to learning. At the same time, Vygotsky warns us not to underestimate what children can do at any given moment.
ReplyDeleteAs teachers, our job is to teach children how to think. Knowledge structures are effective tools that help students do just that.
The text has a lot of great activities. The key for you will come in your lesson planning, and the question will be--How do I design a series of activities that challenge students to think scientifically while learning important science concepts?
Piece of cake.