1/12 Jenna - Practices in Practice

The NGSS Framework chapter defines the need in K – 12 classrooms for students to be engaged in authentic scientific and engineering inquiries by employing the practices that professionals would use in their own investigations. The Framework identifies eight general practices that students should develop competence with, and distinguishes how these practices would look when employed by a scientist and an engineer. For each practice, the authors of the chapter list “goals” (what a student should be able to do by grade 12) and briefly describe a trajectory of “progression” (in a student’s fluency with or sophisticated use of the practice).

In contrast to the general foundations that the NGSS Framework is building for K – 12 education, Schwarz et al. are specifically developing a “learning progression” for modeling as a scientific practice. In devising their learning progression, they also incorporated opportunities for metamodeling, sense-making, and communication. Schwarz et al. then provide an analysis of a study of elementary and middle school students that had used scientific modeling practices in their classrooms to help illustrate elements of their learning progression.

I appreciated that both of these texts are taking a situative approach to science and engineering education (and I take this to be both a relevant theme and a relationship between readings). I think this is an especially important philosophy to hold because our knowledge of the world is limited by the questions we ask and the technologies we have available to use in inquiry. Scientific “facts” can break down in light of new evidence and interpretations, but the fundamental practices by which professionals create and communicate scientific knowledge will always be relevant. Both readings are clarifying how educators might successfully engage students in participating with these practices and, consequently, how the next generation will come to be prepared for facing future challenges.

One thing I noticed with both articles is that there is a prominent focus on visual/spatial representations and observations in constructing models. I wonder how students with visual disabilities might fare with this particular practice. Any learning progression, if it is to be implemented in a classroom, needs to be inclusive of all kinds of student needs.

Response: Caitlin Farney 

I agree with you on how it is important that students learn about how science is communicated within a community, and how scientists and engineers ask and answer problems. Furthermore, these practices, including models, can be used in other disciplines as well. Mathematics help create models, but models can also be used in math classes. Explaining and communicating is important from science, to political science, to journalism, to business, and more. I had not thought about how most models are visual. Mental models may help here, but what about when something needs to be demonstrated?

Response: Laura Cummings 

It’s interesting to me that you see the two articles in contrast over the concept of progression, as I think that both clearly acknowledge the way in which scientific practice grows and evolves in the young mind.  Because the next gen and modeling focus is new in science education, I think that we will often encounter students at varied stages of familiarity with modes of independent scientific thinking and progress in their mastery of these practices.  Thus I think it is really valuable to consider how students may be interacting with these activities at various stages in their academic career and appropriately support them in reaching mastery.