How Children Learn

1. How Children Learn Key Findings from Research

2. Rhode Island Professional Teacher Standards Standard 3: How Children Learn and Develop Teachers create instructional opportunities that reflect an understanding of how children learn and develop. Teachers... * understand how students learn -- how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, develop habits of mind, and acquire positive dispositions toward learning. * design instruction that meets the current cognitive, social, and personal needs of their students * create age-appropriate lessons and activities that meet the variety of developmental levels of students within a class

3. National Science Teaching Standards TEACHING STANDARD A: Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students. In doing this, teachers plan to meet the particular interests, knowledge, and skills of their students and build on their questions and ideas. Such decisions rely heavily on a teacher's knowledge of students' cognitive potential, developmental level, physical attributes, affective development, and motivation--and how they learn. Teachers are aware of and understand common naive concepts in science for given grade levels, as well as the cultural and experiential background of students and the effects these have on learning. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/3.html#tsa

4. What principles of learning guide you in teaching? It matters what you believe!Our beliefs are shaped by the way we view the world!

5. Research-based Teaching and Learning New view of learning draws its strength from -cognitive neurosciences -cognitive psychology -artificial intelligence This new view directly affects how we develop curriculum and how we teach.

6. Biological Basis of Learning

7. Imaging research helps us understand how we learn

8. Magnetic Resonance Imaging

10. Role of Adrenaline Prepares Brain for Learning

11. Role of Adrenaline in Learning • A hormone released when the body experiences arousal. • When release the body becomes more attentive. • A learning response is increased attention to the matter at hand • Too much adrenaline shuts down the brain.

12. ImplicationsApproach to Learning Hands-on (Multi-Sensory) • First Hand Pictorial/Representational • Second Hand Symbolic • Last Hand

13. Research-based Teaching and Learning A. Learners construct knowledge through experience. B. Construction of knowledge depends on interest and prior knowledge. C. Data comes in through our five senses. The brain stores a record of neural activity as learners interact with the environment. Each record is a pattern of connections (dendrites/synapses) among brain cells (neurons).

14. Research-based Teaching and Learning D. “Knowledge” is stored in clusters and organized in systems. E. Enriched environments increase the quality and quantity of interconnections.

15. Key Findings How People Learn 1. Engage students’ prior knowledge. 2. Develop students’ deep foundation of factual knowledge and a strong conceptual framework. 3. Help students self-monitor their understanding and progress in problem solving. Donovan et al. How People Learn

16. Implications for the Teacher 1. Engage students’ prior knowledge. Strategies: -Interviews - Drawing, Writing, Speaking -Small and Whole Class Discussion -Concept Mapping -Concept Cartoons -Surveys

17. Implications for the Teacher 2. Develop students’ deep foundation of factual knowledge and a strong conceptual framework. Strategies: -Use exemplary science materials that develop ideas sequentially-smaller ideas to larger ideas -Use scientist notebook (link “Conclusion” with “Prediction”) -Use graphic organizers, concept mapping, KWL charts

18. Implications for the Teacher 3. Help students self-monitor their understanding and progress in problem solving. Strategies: -Use scientist notebooks “Next Steps/New Questions” -Rating scales -I used to think….Now I think…

19. Other Implications • Use a hands-on, multi-sensory approach to teaching. • Use formative assessment (e.g., pre-assessments; self-assessments) • Help learners link ideas (e.g, graphic organizers such as concept maps) • Provide regular opportunities for learners to set goals for learning, self-monitor learning, and reflect.

20. Other Implications Instructional Materials 1. Use instructional materials (such as FOSS, STC, and Insights) which apply research on learning. 2. Enable learners to construct own ideas through exploration of relationships among materials and ideas 3. Less is more. Spend more time on fewer, more powerful topics. 4. Delay the teaching of abstract topics until the onset of adolescence.

21. References Donovan, M. Suzanne, Bransford, John D. and Pellegrino, James W. (Eds.) (1999). How people Learn: Bridging research and practice. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. On-line: http://books.nap.edu/html/howpeople2/index.html Lowery, Lawrence. (1998, November). How New Science Curriculums Reflect Brain Research. Educational Leadership Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Volume 56 Number 3.

22. For ELED 518Interview About Evaporation • Purpose: To elicit children’s misconceptions about scientific ideas. • It’s assessment--but can be used to engage student’s prior knowledge. • It’s formative assessment. However, it could be used to determine progress in students learning (pre/post assessment).

23. Interview About Evaporation • Gather Materials • Paper towels • Water • Picture/drawing of wet clothes on clothesline • Drawing-writing paper

24. Ryan watched the clothes drying and wonders where the water goes. Where do you think the water goes when clothes dry on a line?

25. Interview About Evaporation • Conducting the interview: • Establish trust. “This is not a test.” • Explain the purpose.”I want to know more about how you think.” • Use effective questioning/responding. Have ELL students draw and write. • After the interview is over, feel free to explain the scientific view of evaporation. • Compare your results with research. See file “Evaporation Research” (Go to WebCT Classroom Handouts>How Children Learn)

26. Examples of Younger Students’ Theories 1. Water changes location “Moving to the Sun” “Dripping” (Water Falling to the Ground) “Soaking In” 2. Water ceases to exist “Dried up” “Disappeared” 3. Water is transformed into some other form.

27. Examples of Younger Students’ Theories 4. Children’s use of term “evaporation” increases with age, but there is a lack of understanding of its meaning. 5. A majority of students do not discuss water as a substance having varying states.

28. What Can You Conclude? Students understanding of evaporation changes over time…goes through a series of stages. With instruction, Grade 5 or older students can identify air as the final location of evaporating water. There is a need for pre-requisite knowledge: Air is a permanent substance.

29. Our Private Universe When we are confronted by things we don't understand, our minds search for answers. We seldom wait for a teacher's explanation. When puzzled, we naturally dip into our storehouse of everyday experience for an explanation. Many of the ideas we put together on our own are inaccurate.

30. Our Private Universe When we seek an answer to a question, we compare our own ideas with the teacher's, the experts', other students' explanations. If the explanation fits our private understanding, then the explanation sticks. If the explanation differs from own own understanding, it's difficult to absorb and we fail to learn.

31. Helping Students With Their Misconceptions • Remind yourself that every student has well developed theories (scientific or not scientific) about how things work. They’re perfectly sensible to a student. • Ask probing questions. Explain your idea further. • Pay attention to their ideas, even if they’re "off the wall.” Ask Where the idea came from? Does anyone else agree?

32. Helping Students With Their Misconceptions • Listen to your students' responses to your questions. Are they telling you what you want to hear or do they clearly understand the concept you are trying to teach? The water is evaporating! (What’s evaporation?) • Understand the limitations of memorizing facts. Make concept maps. • Encourage students to challenge their own ideas. Use Notebooking: Link Conclusions with Predictions.

33. Key Findings How People Learn 1. Engage students’ prior knowledge. 2. Develop students’ deep foundation of factual knowledge and a strong conceptual framework. 3. Help students self-monitor their understanding and progress in problem solving. Donovan et al. How People Learn