J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University 1

Teaching and Learning Physics: Week 2

9/8/2009

Objective:

By the end of this class you should be able to describe the importance of teacher/student dialogue to the process of learning. Special attention should be given to the concept of convergent vs. divergent questions and its influence on student learning.

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20 minute conversation with Jim

Go to your Cornell Google calendar and schedule in a 20 minute slot to sit and have a chat with me. The conversation may include the following topics:

• What do you think of the seminar so far?• What is your level of interest in teaching Physics?• How is your TA experience going?• Tell me a bit about a teacher that was an important influence in your life.• What led you to Cornell?• From the floor…

Enter your name in the time slot when you schedule so I know who I will be talking to.

This conversation will not affect your grade in the seminar.

J. Overhiser/ TIR Cornell University 3

Thought Ignition

9/8/2009

20th Century & 21st Century Teachers.avi

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"Just what is the Socratic Method, why should we use it, how does it work?"

Just like that!

The Socratic Method of Learning

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Fred and Betty are found dead.

On the floor is broken glass and water.

What happened?

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Thus, the Socratic Method is a conversation, a discussion, a time of questioning wherein two or more people assist one another in finding the answers to difficult questions.

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Let’s focus on the questions.In groups of 2-4 come up with a list of questions that you could ask someone about the rock that is given to you. Try to come up with 10-15 solid questions you could ask a student and record them on a piece of paper or in your journal.

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Teaching by asking not

telling9/8/2009

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Teaching/Learning benefits of Socratic questioning methodRef. www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html

Utilizes students innate curiosity and arouses their thinking

Makes teaching more interesting

Gives constant feedback on student’s understanding

No need for tests or quizzes to determine understanding

o “…..a quiz whose point is teaching, not grading.”

Teaching by pulling ideas out of the students instead of pushing ideas in.

Immediate correction to misunderstandings

Learning environment takes on a “live” nature and not one with passive inefficiency.

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Teaching from their questions.

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“You can forget facts, but you can’t forget understanding.”

- Prof Eric Mazur

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Challenges to teaching through questioning Very out-of-the-ordinary approach (must train the students).

Need to design and think through appropriate probing questions.

Must think about the logic of the topic being taught.

Need to know students prior knowledge and experiences.

Need to put student learning ahead of teacher presentation.

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Logically vs Psychologically LEading questions

Logically: Require understanding of the concepts and principles involved in order to be answered correctly.

Psychologically: Can be answered by students’ keying in on clues other than the logic of the content.

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Convergent Problem solving (Closed response)

Student brings information from a variety of experiences to get the “correct” answer.

By definition, the students here are trying to answer the question, “What is…?”.

eg.• What is Newton’s first Law?• What is the the mass of a proton?• What is the speed of light?

What is the speed of

dark?

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Divergent Problem solving (Open response)

Characterized by having no one correct answer. The question is open to various responses.

Students are asked, “What do you think…?” questions.

eg.• “How do you think scientists discovered the speed of light?”

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Knuth and Peressini (Assigned article)

In defining discourse: (Ref. Lotmans. 1988. Text Within Text. Soviet Psychology 24 (1988): 32-51)

(Closed question)

Univocal – characterized by communication win which the listener receives the “exact” message that the speaker intends for the listener to receive.

(Open question)

Dialogic – generates meaning by using dialogue as a “thinking device”.

This is the same thing as convergent

and divergent questions. Right?

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TASK:

Develop a set of questions that can help students understand that acceleration due to gravity is 9.81 m/s2 at the top of projectile motion even though the vertical velocity = 0 m/s.

***Remember, you are not trying to get them to say that acceleration never changes. You are trying to get them to understand a very important concept relative to gravity.

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Watch the following video…….

Zero Gravity

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What happens if I drop this cup while water is pouring from the hole in the bottom?

What happens if I toss this cup upward while water is pouring from the hole in the bottom?

Problem 2:Problem 1: