The Six Facets of Understanding : Self -Knowledge

1. The Six Facets of Understanding:Self -Knowledge September 22nd PSPH 228 Assessment in K-12 Science Education Mohamed Nouristani Jim Evans Charles Butler

2. Sample problem • Calculate the amount of work required to lift a five kg mass from the floor to a table top that is 1 m high.

3. Sample Problem, Page 2 • Take a minute to reflect on what you did to solve the problem. • Answer the following questions: • Were you on track to solving the problem? Explain. • What do you do that is helpful in solving the problem? • When you’ve solved problems like this before, what difficulties did you have? Do these difficulties still get in the way?

4. Introduction to Self-Knowledge • “Self-Knowledge: the wisdom to know one’s ignorance and how ones patterns of thought and action inform as well as prejudice understanding” Wiggins andMcTighe, 2006 • Segue from facet 5, Empathy: • As empathy involves getting into the feelings and worldview of others, with self- knowledge we analyze our own feelings.

5. Examples of Self-Knowledge • Positive examples provided in the text: • A student using graphic organizers because she knows she’s a visual learner • A mother realizes that issues with her daughter’s life are rooted in issues fro her own childhood. • Negative example provided in the text: • “When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail” • Two slides from now, you’ll give your own examples. Get ready!

6. Metacognition • Metacognition • Why we think what we do • How we like to learn • How our methods of learning help and inhibit our understanding • Gained through Self-Reflection

7. Categorization and Theories • Both understanding and misconceptions come from our attempts to categorize and assimilate knowledge into our own scaffolding. • To gain self-knowledge of a subject, students consider how the new understanding might fit into their preconceived understandings of other phenomenon. • Self–Knowledge demands that we self-consciously question the way we see the world.

8. Implications for Educators • As educators we tend to rely on categories and metaphors. • “Are children really like natural objects or phenomena to be treated as equal variables and “isolated”? • Educators need to do a better job at teaching and assessing self-reflection in order to bring a grater attention to self-knowledge.

9. Sample Questionfor Empathy and Self-Knowledge • On a recent test 90% of students missed the following question: A golf ball rolls up a hill toward a miniature golf hole. Assume the direction toward the hole as being positive. If the ball starts with the speed of 2 m/s and slows at a constant rate of 0.5 m/s2, what is its velocity after 2 seconds? • Those who got the problem wrong answered 3 m/s while the one who got it correct answered 1 m/s.

10. Second Sample Question:Page 2 • In the process of solving the problem, what common mistake did the nine students likely make? (Empathy) • Do you think you would have gotten this problem correct if you had been asked it? Why or why not? (Self-knowledge) • What might you do in future problems to make sure that you don’t make the same mistake? (Self-knowledge)

11. About the authors • Mohamed Nouristani • Charles Butler • Jim Evans • Met September 13th at Cardozo to discuss the material and split up tasks • Nouristani created the sample problems • Jim wrote the handout • Charles made the power point • Jim and Nouristani met on September 20th at Cardozo High School • Jim sends his regards from Cardozo’s back to school night!