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Volume 8 |
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Strategies Fostering Thinking |
Jerry Pelletier. The technique I employ is a combination of "hands on" experiences with inductive reasoning. Students are put in situations in which they must question what they observe, analyze data and draw what they feel are logical conclusions. They are constantly questioned and encouraged to question.
John Ricciardi. Be honorable. Be equitable. Be open. When I can adhere to it, this basic strategy works well for me. Honoring your students is respecting their diversity and wholeness...their individuality and integrity. Honor their being always...whatever particular mental phase they may be in. Be equitable with your students. Rules must be fair and equal for all. No favoritism, belittlement, or force. Free choice should be the bed rock upon which all activities are constructed. Be open...and real to your limitations and weaknesses. If you do, your students will be open too, and grow with you. Be open to trust by believing in them. Be open...and aware of a learning that may be taking place in them that you don't fully perceive.
Mary Wilde. I have always had positive results with small group learning, however, I have really been able to enhance this teaching strategy by incorporating the cooperative learning format. There are many different cooperative learning models, however, the one I find most successful is where each student within a group learns different material. Then each student is required to teach the others in the group what has been learned. The group is responsible for each other, for I often give individual tests and average them together to receive a group grade. I also like to organize small groups by assigning each member of a team a different task in order to achieve a single goal. For example, when we studied shoreline erosion, each group was responsible for building a paper-mache model, painting and labeling depositional and erosional shoreline features, reading an article entitled, "America is Washing Away," and writing an abstract or review on the article. Tasks were divided among the students and each had a responsibility to the group. One group grade was given for the entire project.
I really feel that small group work helps develop responsibility and commitment. Also, more can be accomplished and learned in small groups where a variety of skills and abilities are pulled together. The learner becomes active, not passive, and greater achievement results can be obtained.
Ginny Almeder. My teaching strategy is fairly traditional and linear. I begin with an assigned reading from the text or related literature. I believe that comprehension of the material is essential provided it does not inhibit the curiosity necessary for problem solving. The reading is followed up with small group and class discussions and a hands-on activity which usually involves a lab or a post-lab discussion. Occasionally, an audiovisual or student presentation is included. Where appropriate, I will reverse the plan and begin the unit with a lab activity. This sequence allows us to proceed from the process level to the information level and shows students more clearly that it is the act of doing science that produces the body of scientific knowledge. Classwork also includes presentation and discussion of projects that students are working on independently.