Sunday, October 11, 2009
Impediments to Inquiry
Large class size is such a challenge in doing inquiry in the classroom. I find that I need to be a facillitator at my 7 teams (4 students each on average) to keep the kids' focus and energy while they are exploring. In my inclusion class I have a special ed teacher as well, so that helps. My middle schoolers (I teach 7th and 8th) easily get off track. Last week we were using microscopes and looking at cells (they made wet mounts of red onion and stained cheek cells, and at another station we had some pond water) and I didn't tell them what they would see...I wanted them to discover for themselves. Some kids loved it but others were easily frustrated because they didn't know what they were "supposed to see". By the end of the class I was literally dizzy from looking in so many scopes and responding to so many "OH! MS. KUBE! LOOK AT THIS! (Leeuwenhoek would've been proud) This was a very different approach than what I used to do because after going over cell theory, I would sketch basic cells (shape) and then do the scope investigations. I know many teachers who bypass the microscope investigations in their large classes because it can be very hectic. They just go over the parts of a microscope, set up one as a demo, and it's on to cell organelles. Not surprising that the kids don't get excited about biology!
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I know exactly where you are coming from. Large classes does take a toll on you as the teacher! I teach 9th graders and this group is exceptionally challenging due to their behavior. Being a science teacher, it is really scary to think that I could let them loose in lab and everything will be fine. We have done a few labs this year already and keeping some of them on track has been rough, not to mention I have to keep an extra close eye because some of my equipment has been walking away. Which is totally frustrating to me especially since I have purchased many of the supplies out of my pocket. But back to my point, to set them up with an inquiry lab and have them actually do it is challenging. I, too, have many students that were much like me in school, where they want to know exactly what they are supposed to see and do so that they can be sure to please me. So hoarding off my kids to just take a leap instead of wanting me to tell them everything about it, is tough. I have a lab coming up this week on identifying 12 different minerals by doing the id tests on them. I have tried to think of ways to just start with the lab without giving them the mineral notes first. But I just can't think of how to start with the lab and have them know what they have to do and not be utterly frustrated. If anyone has any ideas...let me know!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could give them the mineral samples and ask them to classify them somehow...color, texture, etc. Just let them explore the minerals and wonder about what they are. Ask, how could the minerals be identified? See what they come up with. Then give the notes just on the tests they will do...good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy for responding! I actually do give the samples in an egg carton and they have to do the mineral property tests with them such as color, hardness, luster, streak etc. Then I provide them with resources where they can try to find the mineral that matches with their data that they collected. So I pretty much do what you said...is this true inquiry? Maybe I'm a bit foggy on what would be true inquiry.
ReplyDeleteI think that is definitely inquiry. We have to remember that inquiry is on a continuum-open ended to guided. At different places in a science unit, guided inquiry is necessary. Giving the students the samples and having them use known tests to discover what their minerals are is in the middle I think...asking the student to collect collect data and then to formulate expanations from the evidence they collect.
ReplyDeleteI tried to implement an inquiry based lesson regarding DNA and was questioned by my administration for doing this--how does this fit to your curriculum Ms B? Well, I teach Biotechnology as an area of technology--but she asked that I give my lesson plans to the science department--I did. The teachers created a Murder Mystery Night here at our school--using my plans. All I can say is I have been told that immiation is the greatest form of flatery! Impediment #2432572356 :-) I suppose
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