education

Often times I feel that inquiry based learning is resisted because it requires more work. You can not sit there and “absorb” the knowledge being thrown at you. In essence I believe that traditional lecture styles do not require you to create an understanding of something, it only requires you to learn and accept what another person discovered. On the other hand, inquiry based learning requires that you construct an understanding for yourself. This is why it requires so much more work. This is something that I learn this summer.

The goal of this Institute was “to bring together college faculty and K-12 teachers to discuss current understandings of about teaching hands-on science throughout the curriculum”.

Monday July 23, 2007 Welcome

The goal of this Institute was “to bring together college faculty and K-12 teachers to discuss current understandings of brain function in relation to behavior ... and the implications of those understandings for classroom teaching and education generally”.

Monday July 9, 2007

One of the first things that we did today was get to know one another. Paul did this by simply polling the class to find out information like; urban schoolteachers v. suburban schoolteachers, and who teaches elementary, middle, and high school. The teachers then had a better sense of who was in the Institute with them. They all agreed that the mix of K-12 and all the diversity that they brought was a good thing and beneficial.

This year was the first year of the Computer Science Summer Institute. It lasted one week with tens presentations in five days. For the first attempt at this Summer Institute it went fairly well, but there are several areas that could have been improved.

I will begin with the Program Outline . It states:

The Institute will consist of lectures and demonstrations, including hands-on computer laboratories, together with discussion periods aimed at exploring computing technology and its impact on education, both inside and outside the classroom.

Monday June 25, 2007

Morning: Paul Grobstein- Between Reality and the Virtual: Education in the 21st Century

I can’t say that I have had the most wonderful experiences with science and math education. Some how my interests prevailed over experience and here I am; working in both Physics and Mathematics. This is not the case for many other people. Some claim they’ve been turned off to it because of a teacher or something very similar. Or perhaps a bad (or even scarring) experience that left them kissing these areas good bye. I take comments like this very seriously because I want to be the one who teachers these subjects in the future. In so doing, I realize the power I may have over a student that could help push them away from science and math forever; or at least have them decide that they would not want to continue education in these areas.

I went fishing west of Pottstown in Oley, Pa at a beautiful place near a stream, farmhouses, and small mountains- It was breathakingly beautiful. I caught a giant sunfish, and my friend caught four small trout. We threw all five fish back. I also caught several moths and one caterpillar to feed to my gecko. Although this place is 48 miles from my neighborhood, I still feel like it's part of the place where I live. After all, I wouldn't drive out of my comfort zone to go fishing for a few hours..