1/12 Joey: NGSS Foundational Framework

Week 1 Memo- Joey Tedeschi

The NGSS Framework reading focused on the importance of students engaging in scientific inquiry by using knowledge and skill together.  The chapter explains why learning science and engineering practices is important for students and which practices are essential through K-12.  Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), engaging in argument from evidence, and finally obtaining, evaluating and communicating information are the practices mentioned.  The chapter then discusses the similarities and differences between science and engineering practices. The importance of each practice is explained, and then tied back to the importance of students exploring how science is done in the real world and how these communities communicate.  The hope is students will not only become more knowledgeable in content and skills, but will also be more critical consumers of scientific knowledge.

The second reading by Schwarz et al. was a research article that explored scientific modeling and how one might develop a learning progression to make modeling accessible and meaningful for learners.  The article mentions two dimensions, the first being metaknowledge and the second being elements of practice.  Basically, the authors want students to not only construct, use, evaluate, and revise scientific models, but also understand the nature and purpose of models.  The article then presented and explained the research they conducted for elementary and middle school students.  They found that students were able to use models to make predictions, evaluate and compare important aspects of models for a consensus model, and they were able to revise models to accommodate for new information.  The article then discussed some of the challenges that arise when modeling in the classroom.

Both readings commented on the importance of students constructing, using, evaluating, and revising scientific models.  The readings also mention how it is important for students to not just memorize or be taught facts, but rather explore scientific phenomena and engage in practices actual scientists do.  I completely agree with these ideas and think that students will get a lot more out of classes that take a modeling approach.  We often get information from a media source or the Internet and many people blindly accept what they see as truth.  By having students engage in modeling and learn how scientists actually practice, they will be much more critical of the source of the information they hear.  Students will also be better at asking questions, communicating, and understanding science.  One of the challenges mentioned by Schwarz was motivating the need to revise models.  By telling students when to revise their models we take the decision about whether the model is “good” or not out of their hands.  How do we know when a model is done being revised? (Aka no further revisions are necessary)