STEM/STREAM: Learning Lab Jan. 10, 2013

1. STEM/STREAM: Learning Lab Jan. 10, 2013 Kenneth WessonEducational Consultant: NeuroscienceSan Jose, CA kenawesson@aol.com

2. Impact of Training Components

3. Reflect and Connect • What did you learn last time we were together (Nov. 27th)? • Did our conversation change your thinking? How? • Do you recall your two “I will” statements from that experience?

4. To Improve Memory: Memory Technique #25 Build bridges from what is known to what is new by using the “10-80-10” rule. Devote 10% of teaching time to activating prior knowledge, 80% to new information, and 10% to a preview of what is to come next.

5. Common Core State Standards - Mathematics or Next Generation Science Standards?

6. Standards from Which Discipline: Math or Science? Asking questions and defining problems Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Look for and make use of structure Planning and carrying out investigations Attend to precision Analyzing and interpreting data Model with mathematics Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations and designing solutions Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them Reason abstractly and quantitatively Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Developing and using models Engaging in argument from evidence Use appropriate tools strategically Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

7. Standards from Which Discipline: Math or Science? Asking questions and defining problems (NGSS) Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information (NGSS) Look for and make use of structure (M) Planning and carrying out investigations (NGSS) Attend to precision (M) Analyzing and interpreting data (NGSS) Model with mathematics (M) Using mathematics and computational thinking (NGSS) Constructing explanations and designing solutions (NGSS) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them (M) Reason abstractly and quantitatively (M) Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. (M) Developing and using models (NGSS) Engaging in argument from evidence (NGSS) Use appropriate tools strategically (M) Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning (M)

8. S.T2.R.E.A.M. Reading/Language Arts (Standards) Reading, writing, discourse, argumentation, vocabulary development, comprehension, journals, note-booking, lab reports, summaries, oral presentations, recording interpreting and critiquing data and information Science Technology Visual Literacy Engineering Art Drawing/diagramming, visual spatial thinking, imagery, inferential thinking, 2/3-dimensional modeling, symbolic models, interpreting visual evidence, visual representations - illustrations, charts, etc. Mathematics Convergent/Integrative STEM T’ & L’

9. Critical Cognitive Connections • Thinking engages multiple areas of the cerebral cortex simultaneously, so why shouldn’t classroom instruction? • Our academic “silos” impose a structure that often becomes an obstruction to learning and creative thinking.

10. Learning: When “More” Becomes “Less” • Enrichment studies: Examine the effects of enrichment or deprivation on brain development, neurogenesis, neuronal growth and synaptogenesis. • While neuronsgenerally grew in size, measures of (a) increased dendritic density (b) increases in the number of glial cells (c) myelinationof the axons (d) changes in brain weight and overall brain volume • No toys or playmates  all growth measures(impoverished) • Playmates + a change of toys every other day (Enriched environments) • Changing toys every hour: → similar  neural connections in brain growth and development (your school day??)

11. STEM education… The easiest way to incorporate STEM into your curriculum is to identify the STEM in the content and activities that you are alreadyteaching. Some content is “STEM,” but not labeled as such, while other content lends itself towards STEM with just a few modest modifications.

12. Re-engineering: Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty’s friend, the local fortune-teller, has predicted “a severe fall accompanied by multiple injuries.” Mr. Dumpty recently saw you and your engineering expertise featured on the Six O'clock News. Solutions for him? • A heavily padded helmet • A full-body padded suit • A foam pit in front of the wall • A seat and seatbelt attached to the wall • A “tip-o-meter” that alerts him when he leans 5-10 degrees in any direction • Install a motion-activated parachute

13. Re-engineering: The Three Little Pigs You have received an urgent e-mail message from the Three Little Pigs. They have had enough of the Big Bad Wolf! You have been commissioned to engineer 2 safeguards to prevent further harassment from the Big Bad Wolf. What would you propose? 1. A house with an aluminum rooftop. 2. Replace the chimney with a central heating system 3. Wolves are afraid of snakes, so around the house 4. Wolves are afraid of water, so build a houseboat and position it 20 yards from the shore. 5. Build a solar-powered environmentally friendly than that blows air away from the house, when the wolf blows air towards the house 6. Build a house with a 35° angle rooftop (too steep to climb). 7. Wolves are afraid of water, so install a motion-sensitive automatic water sprinkling system.

14. The Heritage of the Human Brain Problem Solution Ask questions Define the precise problem Analyze assumptions Analyze answers/available data What is generic, specific and related Call on relevant prior knowledge Consult (people/references) Plan investigation Generate new questions Use imagination/seek creative solutions Repeat steps wherever necessary

15. The American Engineers Council for Professional Development defines Engineering as: “The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as specs and intended function, economics of operation or safety to life and property." Engineering is the discipline that applies scientific principles and theories in order to create strategies, procedures or objects that will satisfy a need, solve a problem, or to enhance an existing product by envisioning, designing and producing technological solutions or improvements. (Wesson)

16. The T and E in STEM Technology and engineering are the means by which intelligent human beings seek to solve problems, satisfy needs, and enhance the quality of our lives.

17. The T and E in STEM When opening a new science kit, ask students: What is this object? How would it be used in science? What could it be used for in another field or discipline to solve problems/answer questions? What else could it be used for? (“Technology” is frequently confused with “computer” although the two are not interchangeable terms )

18. Technology Technology can help bring your ideas to life, but you need to haveideasfirst and you to develop a deeper understanding of the science behind those ideas. Francis Bacon: Knowledge and power go hand in hand. The way to increase power is to increase knowledge.

19. STEM: Students and Teachers Enjoying every Minute of the school day, because it is finally connected in where learning makes sense!

20. There are no “Seven Wonders of the World” in the eyes of a child. --Walt Streigtiff There are seven million.

21. The 4 Fundamental Forces in our Universe 1. Gravity - This force acts between all mass in the universe and it has infinite range. 2. Electromagnetism - This acts between electrically charged particles. Electricity, magnetism, and light are all produced by this force and it also has infinite range. 3. The Strong Force - This force binds neutrons and protons together in the cores of atoms and is a short range force. 4. Weak Force - This causes Beta decay (the conversion of a neutron to a proton, an electron and an antineutrino) and various particles (the "strange" ones) are formed by strong interactions but decay via weak interactions (that's what's strange about "strangeness"). Like the strong force, the weak force is also short range.

23. Balance

24. Question: How do you teach vocabulary best? Answer: In context Full answer: In the context of doing (not in the context of reading).

25. Vocabulary in Context Axis: The point around which something rotates. Balance: To stay in a position without being held. Balance point: The place on which an object balances. Balanced: When something is in a stable position. Clothespin: A clip of wood or plastic for fastening clothes to a clothesline. Counterbalance: To place weights on an object to keep it in a stableposition. Counterweight: Something that helps to balance an object. Crayfish: A freshwater shellfish. Force: A push or a pull. Gravity: A force that pulls things toward the Earth. Motion: The act of moving. When something moves. Object: Anything that can be seen or touched; a thing. Position: The place where a person or thing is. Rotate: To turn in circles a lot of times; to spin. Slope: A surface that is higher on one end. Spin: To move by turning around an axis. To turn in circles a lot of times; to rotate. Spiral: To move in a circular motion around a fixed center Unstable: When something is not steady and falls over.

26. What Is Research Telling Us? • The brain moves best from meaning-to-print,rather than from print-to-meaning

27. The Achievement Gap • Vocabulary = proxy for knowledge. Achievement gaps are knowledge gaps primarily sponsored by ever-expanding vocabulary gaps. • A highly developed vocabulary facilitates precision, not just in speaking, but in thinking. • Lack of vocabulary can be a crucial factor underlying the school failure of disadvantaged students (Becker, 1977; Biemiller, 1999).

28. Vocabulary Development 4,000 – 8,000 words when entering elementary school 40,000 avg. when they exit high school 36,000 word difference For 13 school grades (K-12) = 2,769 words/year 178 days for 2,769 = 16 words/school day 4K- 8,000 words when entering elementary school 87,000 exposed to/should have mastered upon exiting HS 79,000 word difference For 13 school grades (K-12) = 6,076 words/year 178 days for 6,076 = 34 words/school day

29. Vocabulary Development • During repeated exposures, learning is greatly enhanced if students interact with vocabulary in a variety of ways -- (Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, 2002). • Students should be involved in linguistic and nonlinguistic representations, drawing pictures, discourse, "playing" with words, identifying similarities and differences, identifying similarities and differences, including comparing, classifying, creating metaphors and analogies… • Oxygen is to humans as _______________ is to____________________

30. Who is most at risk? • By age 4, the average accumulated experience with • words for children from • professional families = approx. 45M words • working-class families = 26M words • welfare families = only 13M words. • (Hart & Risley, 2003) • Kindergarteners in lowest 25% for vocabulary development are 3 grades behind by Grade Six. • Arizona Prisons estimate their projected jail beds based on 3rd Grade reading failures.

31. “STREAM-posium”: Share Interdisciplinary Vocabulary Lists • Prepare a list of the key vocabulary words for the month from each subject area/discipline • Exchange those lists with colleagues and look for polysemouswords (multiple meanings depending on their contexts) that also are germane to your discipline, your lessons plans for the year. • If a word appears in multiple academic areas, it warrants your special attention • Work these interdisciplinary (bonus) words often into your lectures, discussions, writing assignments, and assessments.

32. “STREAM-posiumSharing Your Interdisciplinary Vocabulary Lists • Introduce words along with their (1) associated definitions in context, and (2) connections to contexts in other subject areas. (Use Word webs and Venn diagrams) • “Last year, you heard this word used when you learned about ______ in your ______ class” • “In your social studies class this year, you will see this word again. However, its alternative meaning of ______ will be emphasized.” • “What do you think this word mean, when you hear it used in mathematics?” • “In 6th grade literature, you will hear more about this word, but guess what? In literature, this word is used to describe…However, in science it means…”

33. Learning on the Diagonal Transfer to new situations skills/knowledge Content

34. Transfer • Transfer is facilitated by knowing the multiple contexts under which an idea applies (i.e., effective transfer is inextricably linked to the conditions for applicability; rote learning rarely transfers.) • New learning depends on prior learning and previous learning can often interfere with new content that is being taught.

35. Engineering: The Cantilever Bridge Challenge • Have you ever designed and built a cantilever bridge model? • How far can our bridge extend without toppling? • Agree on a distance with your tablemates.

36. Counter-weight (grams) 4000 3800 3600 3400 3200 3000 2800 2600 2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Distance

37. Engineering: The Cantilever Bridge Challenge • Structural engineers, architects and scientists experiment with various models asking: • Where are the stress points? • What makes parts of a bridge weak? • What makes this bridge strong? • How could I make it stronger? • Why would I make a bridge stronger? • What is the most efficient bridge design? • What is the most cost-effective design of my bridge? • How can we design the most reliable structure?

39. Mathematics Physics/systems Bridges Balance The geometric shape used most in construction? Toys, playground equipment, amusement parks = balance and motion (physical science) History of toys; different toys used by children around the world = S.S.

40. D. o. K. • Depth of knowledge (via neural networks) is the richest goal in LT learning. • The most effective homework assignment for promoting thinking: “Tomorrow I will be interested to hear your ideas concerning today’s discussion; that is, once you’ve had time to think about it more deeply.”

41. Strategies for a Better Memory K-W-LUPChart What do What do you What have How will you How would Prefer you Know? Want to know?you Learned? Use it?to learn it?

42. The Ice Cube (Frozen Block of Water) There is a glass of water with several ice cubes sitting on a table. Some of the ice cubes are floating half-above and half-beneath the surface. When the ice has completely melted, will the level of the water show an increase, decrease or will it remain unchanged?

43. The Ice Cube (Frozen Block of Water) The water level remains unchanged because the ice cube displaces its own weight (Archimedes’ Principle - any floating object displaces its own weight of fluid.) An immersed object is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid it actually displaces.

45. Guiding Inquiry: Questions to Ask Before the science activity:  What do you know/think about this concept, idea or phenomenon?  What would you like to know?  How would you/we go about finding out? During the science activity (Metacognitive monitoring) :  What is this (object or event) similar to? What does it remind you of? (Prior knowledge: Building bridges from what is known to what is new by deploying the appropriate metaphors).  Are there other approaches to solving this problem/answering this question?  Is there another way and/or a better way to answer this question?  What is/was predictable here?  If we changed one variable, what might be an alternative outcome?  What other questions are beginning to surface? How can we answer them?

46. Guiding Inquiry: Questions to Ask Following the activity (new understandings that support acquired knowledge):  What did we investigate?  What were we looking for?  What did we do/see? How did we quantify or measure it?  What did we learn? What conclusion(s) can we draw?  Is there evidence to to support our conclusion(s)? (Scientific reasoning)  What else do I already know that might support this new conclusion? (Synthesizing)  What was most memorable/surprising about this investigation?  What questions came up during our investigations? Were we able to answer them? What resources can we use to find answers?  What do I/we still need to know in order for this concept to be clear?  What other investigations could we conduct to discover more about this scientific phenomenon?  What is the benefit of knowing what we have just learned?  Create a short list of “what if” questions about the subject of your investigation.  Can you proffer an answer to any of your “what if” questions?

47. Purposeful Questions Feedback questions: What is a ____? What was the ____ called? Linking questions (convergent thinking): How is this like _____? Leading questions: What does this remind you of? Inference questions: Aid concept understanding by filling in missing information that may not be immediately available. Connecting questions: Merging concepts Thinking/application questions: Would the distance flown by the rocket, increase or decrease if you doubled the weight of the cargo? By how much? What other factors should be considered? Interpretation questions: What does this mean to you?

48. Water • The oceans contain more than 97% of the Earth’s supply of water • 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water • Less than 3% of the earth’s water is fresh water, not all of which is accessible. Humans can only survive on fresh water. (A shortage one day soon?) • Water pollution and contamination jeopardizes our natural sources of fresh water

49. BC Attention-getting Teaching Strategies • Humor Novelty • Change Prior knowledge activation • ColorMusic • Movement Surprise • Discrepant events Personal relevance • Patterns • Emotions/social interactions • A… suspenseful pause Activate the intrinsic reward (dopamine- pleasure) system No attention = No engagement = No Learning

50. Water can… • Act differently on the same object? (the rose) • Disappear? (the 3 blue cups) • Defy gravity? (rise in water glass with candle) • Can water fall at the different rates? (tornado tube) • Increase its volume? (the “magic pill” that increases water volume)