This is your opportunity to teach fellow Fellows about one of the Dimensions 3 strategies. You have been given an article about one of the 8 Dimensions 3 strategies. Please read the article and also take a look at the same Dimensions 3 strategy on the following website: http://www.aea267.k12.ia.us/cia/framework/thinking/
(When you go to this site, click on COMPLEX THINKING SKILLS AND REASONING. Scroll down near the bottom of Thinking Skills and find the Dimensions of Learning thinking skills you have been assigned). Then, do the following:
1. What steps (steps in knowing the process) would students need to know in order to use this strategy? List the steps.
2. How would you teach the students how to use this process? (for instance, today, I showed you the process of comparing 2 things by having you compare fun/enjoyment and also had you compare 2 different types of candies).
3. How could you apply this strategy to science or mathematics? (for instance, I might have students compare the structure of RNA and DNA in biology OR in math, I might have students compare finding the Least Common Multiple (LCM) by generating a table of multiples, and by writing out and using the prime factorization).
Respond to ONE colleague.
Steps for using the strategy of Classification
ReplyDeleteIf I were to reduce this to the 5 critical steps, here’s what they would be:
1. Identify the items to be classified
2. Define the categories they’ll be sorted into
3. Sort the items
4. Re-examine the items and categories.
5. Move items and merge/create categories (if you need to)
How I would introduce it
I would have students generate a list of their favorite movies or musical artists as a class, then classify these by genre. That should be something they’re already familiar with and readily willing to try-out
An example from the field of biology
Classification is the name of the game in systematics. I could have students classify organisms into different kingdoms. This requires them to know the defining characteristics of each kingdom as well as each organism. I would probably throw some challenges at them too (e.g.’s: Does a virus belong to a kingdom? Where do algae fit in? Here are the characteristics of a griffin, where does it fit in?)
Constructing Support
ReplyDeleteSteps using the process:
1. Identify whether you are stating facts or opinions.
2. If you are stating an opinion, determine whether the situation warrants support.
3. If the situation warrants support, provide supporting argument, making use of the different ways that support can be offered.
4. If you cannot provide a supporting argument, acknowledge the fact by stating that your claims should be considered an opinion.
2) I would teach the students how to use this process by:
1. First construct support by thinking aloud and state whether I am stating facts or opinions.
2. If I am stating an opinion, I need to determine whether the situation warrants support.
3. I provide supporting argument, if needed, making use of the various ways support can be offered.
4. If I cannot provide a supporting argument, I would acknowledge the fact by stating that my claims should be considered an opinion.
3) I could apply this strategy to evolution.
1. I would have the students identify whether they think it is fact or opinion.
2. Ask the students does it warrant support?
3. If yes, is there an argument that would support this claim? Are there any limitations or assumptions underlying this argument? Is this information persuading you? If so, how?
4. If the students cannot provide a supporting argument, then they will need to state that the claims should be considered an opinion.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteI could see how I can apply it to my lesson plan and it engages the students as well. Good job.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you explained classification...especially throwing in something mythical like a griffin...will have to make the students work at figuring that one out, and use what you have been teaching them on classification... good job!!!
ANALYZING PERSPECTIVES:
ReplyDelete1. Introduce students to the concept of analyzing perspectives.
2. Present students with a general strategy for analyzing perspectives.
3. Present students with the value examination matrix.
4. Present students with the conflict clarification matrix.
These steps are evidently vague. The skill itself however, is indispensable and the article goes into some clearer explanations how it can be used. Analyzing perspectives is a way to stop an argument from getting out of hand, by attempting to understand the other person's view point and 'putting yourself in their shoes'.
Simply, if you find yourself in a heated debate, the article suggests to "stop yourself in the middle of an argument to determine exactly what your position is AND the REASONING behind your position." "Next, try to identify the opposing position..[and] try to describe the reasoning behind the opposing position."
To the class:
This process requires no specific situation to learn, only an opportunity when an argument arises. Before things escalate, and without stepping in with a 'solution' it would be a good time to have each side look at what they are arguing for (if a belief) and what the other side might be saying.
In biology:
Ethical debates are common in biology. The are more than enough chances to tease one of these apart. Oil rigs? Split the class into groups (in contrast to the natural setting I chose above) and have each 'argue' for the benefits of such rigs, and their (environmental) drawbacks, then have each stop and switch sides. Forcing students to argue against their beliefs is a healthy way to bring more complex topics up for debate as they arise in any lesson (evolution anyone?).
Ana: good summary and example. In the sciences, this is such a relevant issue to pick apart. Any time you can get a student to see that what they are arguing for is a personal belief, it helps them to identify their motivations for sharing it, and to seek information supporting it.
ReplyDeleteI like that this is broken down into a self-analysis, because trying to someone (especially an adolescent) that what they believe is an opinion, ie. 'not real', does not always get the best response.
Error Analysis
ReplyDeleteIdentifying and articulating errors in thinking
Steps in the Process
1.Determine if the information being presented to you can affect you in any way. Is it intended to persuade you, elicit anything from you, or change your behavior?
2.If the information is intended to affect you, identify claims that are unusual to you or that go beyond what you know to be true.
3.Look for errors in the unusual claims you have identified.
4.If you find errors, ask for clarification or more accurate information..
To teach this I would:
1.Introduce students to the concept of error analysis
2.Present students with a general strategy for error analysis as listed in the steps above
3.Present students with incorrect declarative and procedural information and ask them to find the errors
4.Explain the distinction between fact and opinion
5.Present students with common types of biases people have in their thinking
6.Present students with common types of informal fallacies (errors based on faulty logic, based on attack, or based on weak references.
I could use this in biology by:
Giving different passages or short scientific articles to read at different times in the lessons that include one or more of the errors listed above. I would have the students identify the errors and explain why they are errors.
Error analysis is very important in the field of scientific research and the evaluation of good or reliable resources. I think a good and easy place to start is by having students read a passage and decide whether or not it is based on the facts as described by an author.
Here is an error that is based on opinion rather than on fact:
An anatomist might write: Humans are perfect creatures. Every organ in the body has an important purpose and function, even the appendix. It is not a vestigial organ representative of evolution from an herbivorous ancestor; we just do not know what its purpose is yet! (with no resources cited).
Rob, I had the exact same idea as soon as I saw what the title of your post was. I really like the idea of using something they are interested in to use to learn how to sort and classify. Music and movies are great hooks.
ReplyDeleteBut what the heck is a griffin? It sounds familiar, but I can't place what it is. I will probably feel stupid shortly as I have to find out right now. :)
No wonder I didn't know what it was, lol. Yeah, try to fit that into a kingdom. he he
ReplyDeleteAna, I did not read your post until I put mine out there. I could have students use your steps in a fact vs. opinion based error analysis as well. Plus, I love the topic of evolution. :)
ReplyDeleteThen I could have students choose sides in which they have to research and argue against what they might believe to gain a different perspective and hopefully decrease biases and fixed mind sets, as described by Vlad's post. It looks like several of us jumped on the evolution band wagon...
ReplyDelete1. Steps for the strategy of induction:
ReplyDelete1. Introduce students to induction
-students need an introduction to induction by using an example
-ex) walk into class, slam the door, throw your books on the desk and then fold your arms across your chest. Ask the students what conclusions they came to as a result of this behavior?
2. Provide students with a general strategy for induction
-induction is a natural mental process, provide students with a general strategy of approaching it
-focus on specific pieces of information, and try to not assume anything as you make your observations
-look for patterns and connections in the information you have identified
-make a general statement that explains the patterns or connections you have observed
-make more observations to see if your generalization holds up; if it doesn’t change it as necessary
3. Provide students with ways of graphically representing induction
-present students with graphic representation of the process
-the first box is used to store observations or specific pieces of information
-the second box is for the general description of the patterns or connections that are observed.
-the last box is used for conclusions made
4. Go on induction outings
-induction outing is simply a situation in which students go outside the classroom to observe and draw conclusions based on their observations
5. Ask students to translate specific facts into generalizations.
-you can provide or highlight facts from which generalizations can be produced.
6. Introduce students to probabilistic thinking
-inductive thinking is probabilistic thinking, which involves determining the probability, or chance, that something will occur.
7. Teach students to use the induction matrix
-induction matrix is most easily applied to concepts
2. How would I introduce it?
I would introduce induction by having students look at two pictures of glaciers (one from the early 1900’s and one from the 2000’s) and have them record all their observations. Then I would ask them what conclusions they came to. I know this is one in my field but I really like it as a way of introducing induction.
3. How would I apply this to science?
I like one of the ideas listed under step 6. The idea is to have students study the different theories on the phenomenon of global warming. Then they would be asked to determine the probability of its occurring within the next decade and then defend their induction.
Ana- I really like your example of applying this to evolution in biology. I think that you would show respect to both sides of the argument. Many people are not willing to even discuss this in a school setting. I also liked how easily you listed the steps.
ReplyDeleteRob-I also liked your example of how you would use your aspect of Dimension 3. Doing an exercise on systematics would be great. So fun!
ReplyDeleteI examined the abstracting strategy from the Dimensions 3 site. They define abstracting as the process of seeing a generalized pattern in information. Students need to know the following steps to use this strategy:
ReplyDelete1. Indentify the important patterns and details in the information.
2. Summarize and generalize the specific patterns and details.
3. Find a parallel with the same general form.
To teach this to students, I would begin with something familiar to the students, such as a recent popular movie. With their input, I would list the specific details of the story on the left side of the class whiteboard. Next, I would ask them to reword and simplify the details. I would write this in a column to the right of the original details. Then I would ask the students if this general form reminds them of any other story. Given that movies are almost all recycled stories of one form or another, the odds are good that they would find something quickly. With a parallel story selected, we would write a list of the parallel stories details on the right that broadly align with the general form we had written in the middle.
In biology, abstracting could be applied easily to a variety of concepts. I could ask students to generalize the establishment of an invasive species and give another situation that has a similar pattern (i.e. a strong new sports team joining a weak conference).
Tammy, I think your topic may have been the most relevant one for our students. It astonishes me how much shoddy information and sometimes outright misinformation is circulated through popular outlets now. Just the other day I saw a friend's FB post sharing a link about the history of involuntary sterilization (completely accurate and legitimate) but then claiming that eugenics programs are still in covert use through malicious prescriptions of drugs that can harm reproduction. I'm sure you can think of a hundred other examples especially regarding climate and evolution. With information shared so freely and quickly, it is crucial that our students learn to consume it intelligently!
ReplyDeleteI also looked at the abstracting strategy. Like J said, the steps are:
ReplyDelete1. Find what is important.
2. Say the same thing in a more general way.
3. Find something else that has the same general form.
I could teach students the strategy by first telling the students what goes into teaching, generalizing it, and relating it to how one coaches a team. I would then let look at a song or the life of one of the their favorite musical artist. Generalizing it, we could show how their life is similar to other people or organizations that suddenly acquire fame or power.
A math example I could use would be solving a complicated equation. You would need to determine what needs to be solved for, what steps are required for doing that, what tools are available for those steps, and what order to do them in. This could easily be related to car repair, physical therapy, or any other sort of fixing example.
J, (that's Steve J for you lay folk), I like the examples you used. I think you do not have enough faith in the artistic qualities of Hollywood, but that is beside the point! Certainly, movies would be a great way to introduce the topic or abstracting. They are so easy to relate to many other things, even besides other movies. Also, the idea of invasive species is really interesting. I'm sure you could take it beyond sports and look at colonization, imperialism, etc...
ReplyDeleteSteps for Helping Students Extend and Refine Knowledge through Induction
ReplyDelete1. Introduce students to induction: It is good to introduce induction by example so that students can see that induction is gaging a situation and drawing conclusions about the observations you make.
2. Provide students with a general strategy for induction: Although induction is a natural phenomenon, it is still a good idea to suggest some steps for strategies when introducing induction. The strategy will be to focus on the information you see at hand, look for connections, make general that explain your connections, and make more observations to see if your generalizations hold up.
3. Provide students with ways of graphically representing induction: Although induction is hard to place in a graphic organizer you could do it by folding a paper into threes, on the first fold you can place the information you have observed, on the second fold write down the connection made about your observations, and on the third fold write down your conclusions.
4. Go on induction outings: This is basically going out to observe situations or individuals and making generalizations about what you see but not assumptions.
5. Ask students to translate specific facts into generalizations: This is where you would provide the students with facts and have them make generalizations about the facts at hand.
6. Introduce students to probabilistic thinking: This involves determining the probability that something will occur.
7. Teach students to use the induction matrix: This is where a grid is created and along the horizontal row are concepts with a commonality that are to be considered. The columns contain questions to be answered about each concept. Once the matrix has been filled out conclusions can be drawn to combine the elements of the row and columns.
The best example to show this example was outlined in the reading:
“Walk into class, slam the door, throw your books on the desk, and then fold your arms across your chest. After a moment, ask students what conclusions they formed when they observed your actions. Then explain to them that the mental process they were using is called induction: reasoning from specific observations to general conclusions. Then ask them to give you some other examples of induction.”
I loved this example and felt it would be a great way to get the students to understand the concept of induction better than any other!
I would use induction in science by giving the students something to view, whether a video or item, and have the students make generalizations about what they viewed. Then the students would explore the topic in depth to see if their generalizations about what they observed were true.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of having students list movies or musical artists and then classifying them by genre. Students would definitely be able to relate to this. I really like your example of using classification to classify different organisms into the different kingdoms. This would allow students to become better familiar with the classification system in science. I like throwing in the challenges too! Good job! :-D
My topic of explanation is that of Deduction.
ReplyDeleteThis is an area that many people have issues with. It is based on logic, and most students have not been exposed to logic in the are of formal study. There is also an issue with using statements that are logically valid but not true. Learners also can have an issue of understanding the difference between induction and deduction. Induction has conclusions that may never be absolute, they can be highly probable where deduction is based on inferences that if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
To teach my students about deduction, I would begin by
1) Finding general "rules" or general arguments that relate to the situation you are thinking about.
2) Determine the conditions that are needed to be present for those rules to apply.
3) If the conditions exist, determine items that have to be true based on the general arguments
After introducing the concepts involved in deductions, I would then show the students examples of this (this concept will work very well with science, and especially chemistry). After the students have shown a better understanding of deduction and the difference between deduction and induction, I would progress to having students start from generalizations, and then form a deduction from these arguments. I would also introduce them to the concept of logic, and show them that one of the main problems with forming deductions is knowing the difference between valid and invalid arguments, and show them how using misconceptions can lead to deductively invalid conclusions.
I would also introduce them to euler diagrams so that they can visually identify arguments and conclusions, and deduce if the conclusion can be drawn based on the euler diagrams.
Christina,
ReplyDeleteInduction and deduction are closely related. It would be great to be able to partner with a science class, one class learning about induction and one learning about deduction, then combining the classes so they can then teach each other about their topic. I think that this would be such a great partnering, especially using to science type of classes, like biology and chemistry...etc.
ANALYZING PERSPECTIVES
ReplyDeleteI don't really see this from a math point of view.
There are no perceptions in math. If you are not answering correctly you are wrong. I guess that could be for the teacher though? Why is this student doing this? How can I change their perception so theydo it right?
The steps are;
1. Find out what you believe.
2. Decide why you believe it.
3. Try to see another solution to the problem.
4. Decide why that could be a valid argument.
I use it when kids are messing around, by asking them the questions directly.
Clearly they are acting up because it is fun. So I say things like, "what are you doing?", "why are you doing that?", "should you be doing that?". The kids no what they are supposed to do and what they are not supposed to do, sometimes they just need to be reminded.
Vlad I like your example. Would you give them time to research first? Maybe give the students a few minutes to argue in the class and then once they have picked a side make them go home and research to try and support the other side.
ReplyDeleteSteve J- I really liked your application for developing abstracting skills. I could immediately latch on to the application when it comes to invasive species. I could see it for succession too. There are tons of generalized "plots" in the biological stories that have become established in the field and if students can generalize them and then find parallels it'll help them with retention and picking up on new materials
ReplyDelete