tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post6242220766432691847..comments2023-12-20T09:23:04.085-06:00Comments on Adventures with the Lower Level: Failures, Mistakes and Other Learning ToolsTracie Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10237663751076265379noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-72472065812808021712012-08-27T15:32:07.521-05:002012-08-27T15:32:07.521-05:00Bryna - Every year, I have a couple (usually) girl...Bryna - Every year, I have a couple (usually) girls that just cannot help but ask me about every single step. Modeling definitely puts them out of their comfort zone, even just simply whiteboarding their answers. I have found that word has gotten around and they are now coming into my room expecting to do things a little differently.Tracie Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237663751076265379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-18819903936924229912012-08-27T15:29:14.146-05:002012-08-27T15:29:14.146-05:00Kelly - you made everyone cry? A lofty goal :) I a...Kelly - you made everyone cry? A lofty goal :) I am definitely make the Mistake Game a requirement this year. We did it a few times last year, but I really like the idea that you do it EVERY time. It was funny today we were talking about getting an A and if everyone had one, what would be so special about it? Tracie Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237663751076265379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-49961441489878922392012-08-26T21:55:38.180-05:002012-08-26T21:55:38.180-05:00I can definitely relate to having students with th...I can definitely relate to having students with this fear of failure - and last year was one of my worst so far for students that needed to know the "right" answer as I would want it said (probably a combination of me being on maternity leave for 2nd quarter and that particular group of students). I think, in part, that the modeling approach asks them to do something so different from what they are asked in more traditional classrooms that it really takes time to adjust.<br /><br />I too have students repeat this lab (or portions of it) until we get some consensus and have data that lines up with what makes sense. I'm also looking at adding a more open ended challenge to start the year and really try to establish a more open mindset from the very first day.Bryna Goecknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06311964051653908828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-13902416828246586472012-08-25T12:57:24.662-05:002012-08-25T12:57:24.662-05:00After my first year, when I think I saw every one ...After my first year, when I think I saw every one of my Honors Physics students cry, I had a goal of none of my students crying the next year. But I quickly realized that I just don't have that much control over any teenager's emotions. Nor do I want to have that much control, to be honest. Anyway, I think pretty much always when a kid gets that upset, there is some aggravating circumstance that I don't even know about that's happening outside of my class.<br /><br />In general, I've found that things like the Mistake Game (where you are required to do things incorrectly) help to convince students that I'm serious about mistakes being both normal and required. It also just takes some time for the most perfection-addicted kids. They have to go through a whole cycle of doing something poorly, practicing, and seeing themselves get better at it. Eventually, they start to realize that it is possible to learn things (that you don't just have some Chemistry or Physics gene (or not have it)).<br /><br />One of my favorite one-on-one talking points—I like to highlight the ridiculousness of the thing that they're thinking by talking about how they've gotten As in school up until now, but 10th grade science is the limit. That's it. They've run out of smarts. If only they'd known ahead of time, so they could have just quit school after 9th grade and finished on top of their game. Etc, etc. :) It's honestly how some of them are feeling, but until you actually articulate it, it doesn't feel so crazy. Once you say it out loud, it's exposed for the insanity that it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-8559809481017797342012-08-24T06:58:04.787-05:002012-08-24T06:58:04.787-05:00Justin - for this lab, I don't give them step ...Justin - for this lab, I don't give them step by step instructions. It's pretty straight forward, so I don't get much variation. Maybe that was what did it. If it was YOUR plan and it screwed up, it might be worse than if you were just doing what you were told? I am hoping that having kids do capstone projects will create more of a gray area when it comes to being right or wrong. To be honest, I am a little worried because I am not sure everyone will want to take that risk. Tracie Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237663751076265379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-70202965391610195182012-08-24T06:53:35.173-05:002012-08-24T06:53:35.173-05:00Hey Sioux - It can be extremely messy! Most kids m...Hey Sioux - It can be extremely messy! Most kids mass the sugar in a test tube, but some of them will use a paper towel. Find the mass of the container first and then find the mass of the container holding the sugar. If you subtract those two masses, you find the mass of the sugar.Tracie Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237663751076265379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-3367770542566590632012-08-24T06:51:27.537-05:002012-08-24T06:51:27.537-05:00Susan - I definitely see that more with girls than...Susan - I definitely see that more with girls than boys. In the last couple years, I have had about half dozen who want me to check every, single step as they work through a problem. It got so bad that I printed off little question mark cards that they had to use to "buy" a question. The interesting thing about that though, is more often than not they had the correct line of thinking, they just craved that reassurance. I'm not sure what it is that we do that makes them so unsure of themselves.Tracie Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237663751076265379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-41888219870965169482012-08-24T02:19:26.325-05:002012-08-24T02:19:26.325-05:00Making a mistake can feel particularly rough when ...Making a mistake can feel particularly rough when it seems as though all of the steps have been laid out for you, and you still screwed it up. In what ways can we create situations where there's more ambiguity as to what "right" looks like, in order to undermine the stigma of failure and to instead normalize it?<br />Thanks for sharing your classroom story. It's given me wonderful food for thought.Justin Lanierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11386367931599418555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-29101732103625647372012-08-23T21:47:29.838-05:002012-08-23T21:47:29.838-05:00how do you mass sugar?how do you mass sugar?SiouxGeonzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14852040976080951492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753011873410854596.post-79432738855350174232012-08-23T20:39:55.876-05:002012-08-23T20:39:55.876-05:00This is a WONDERFUL lesson on so many levels!
...This is a WONDERFUL lesson on so many levels! <br /><br />I was just in a discussion today with the Principal of an all girls school-we were bemoaning both the anecdotal evidence AND research that shows us girls are especially reticent to take risks academically-and it often plays out exactly as you so eloquently described.<br /><br />I LOVE that this was an early lesson/learning for your entire chemistry class. The quintessential "teachable moment." I will try to create this scenario for my students (with or without the tears, perhaps)-it is SUCH an important first lesson toward really doing science.<br /><br />Bravo!<br /><br />Susan Townsendniskymom2fourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13230393288105102383noreply@blogger.com