1 / 25

Forget Java, We've got Lava! A Constructivist Approach

Forget Java, We've got Lava! A Constructivist Approach. CECS 5500 Summer 2000. Are you ready to…. See volcanoes erupt? Find out where volcanoes are? Hear actual accounts of eruptions? Find out what happens to volcanic areas? Feel the shape and activity of a volcano?

iona
Download Presentation

Forget Java, We've got Lava! A Constructivist Approach

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Forget Java, We've got Lava!A Constructivist Approach CECS 5500 Summer 2000 E Blevins

  2. Are you ready to….. • See volcanoes erupt? • Find out where volcanoes are? • Hear actual accounts of eruptions? • Find out what happens to volcanic areas? • Feel the shape and activity of a volcano? • Find out if eruptions can be predicted? E Blevins

  3. But are you ready to… • Ask students what they know before you tell them what you know? • Seek elaboration and provide wait time after questions? • Provide time for concept construction and natural curiosity? • Use words like classify, analyze, predict, and create? • Allow student responses to shift instructional strategies? E Blevins

  4. The role of the teacher in a constructivist learning environment shifts from that of an authority figure to that of a mentor. E Blevins

  5. Knowledge is no longer believed to be transmitted from the teacher to the learner, knowledge construction becomes the responsibility of the learner.(Fineman &Bootz) E Blevins

  6. Constructivist Terms E Blevins

  7. Objective To create a final collaborative project that includes answers to questions submitted by group members and others E Blevins

  8. The Research Cycle • Questioning • Planning • Gather, Sort, Sift • Synthesize • Report • Evaluate Volcanoes E Blevins

  9. Questioning • What problem needs to be solved? • What decision needs to be made? • What data is required? • What smaller questions create the big one? • What does the student already know? • What is missing? E Blevins

  10. Planning • Begin to develop information-seeking strategies • Determine where to search for the best information by means of determining efficiency and reliability • Employ steps to protect a balanced and unbiased view • Evaluate ways to use technology to collect and organize this information E Blevins

  11. Gathering, Sorting, Sifting • Retain information • Anticipate questions • Predict outcomes E Blevins

  12. Synthesize • Arrange • Rearrange • And then… • Arrange • Rearrange E Blevins

  13. Report • Present the “constructed” information • Present the project collaboratively The group can receive extra points if they: • Listen attentively to other groups • Ask “appropriate” questions • Provide “appropriate” comments E Blevins

  14. Evaluate • What do you like most? • What do you like least? • Is it complete? • Is it accurate? • Is it interesting? • What would make it better? E Blevins

  15. Day One • Read students the written accounts of an actual eruption (available on-line) • Discuss what they know and allow them to generate five questions each of the things that they want to know E Blevins

  16. Day two • Students will receive another student’s questions via a word document to begin the sort, sift, and gather process • They will cut and paste general answers for three of the five questions and one of their own to the word document E Blevins

  17. Day Three • Each student will gather information on one volcanic terms. Each student will choose the term from a list as well as the method that they use to locate that information. That information will be presented to the class which will documented in all student’s journals • During the selection and research time the class will be building a volcano of their own (available on-line). E Blevins

  18. Day Four • Students will be placed in groups of three • Students will begin the process of taking inventory • Decide which questions need more investigation • Begin gathering, sorting, and sifting again E Blevins

  19. Chart eruption activity (available on-line) Map volcano territory (available on-line) Day Five E Blevins

  20. Day Six • Gather • Sort • Sift • Synthesize • Finalize reports E Blevins

  21. Take virtual visits to volcano observatories (available on-line) View slide shows of eruptions (available on-line) Day Seven E Blevins

  22. Day Eight and Day Nine • Reports The presentation will be completed in groups of three The presentations can be in the form of web page, multimedia presentation, or informational brochure The presentation must include answers for five questions from the class E Blevins

  23. Day Ten • Evaluation Rubric evaluation and teacher evaluation will be used to determine a numerical grade based on information, organization, and “user friendliness” E Blevins

  24. Resources SEARCH • Smart Zones http://www.edview.com • Kids Click http://sunsite.berkelely.edu/KidsClick • Ask Jeeves for Kids http://www.ajkids.com SITES • Volcanoes of the World http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov • Volcano World http://volcano.und.nodak.edu • Earth Science Foundation http://webserv.gsfc.nasa.gov E Blevins

  25. Summary • Take a chance • Let your students help direct your learning objectives • Let them help “construct” and take ownership and responsibility for their learning E Blevins

More Related