I found this article to be very interesting and relatable. There are a few ideas that stuck out to me. I feel like if there is one thing that I have learned this semester cross curricular is that all of our instruction should be inquiry based and student led. I believe that from this foundation, teaching and learning will occur. One of the main ideas from this article included the importance of teaching conceptually. I can attest that I, too, was taught science the way that a lot of the students in this article probably were taught. I spent a lot of my childhood, memorizing vocabulary and concepts to past the test. This is where misconceptions come into play. We never really learn the concepts. In science investigations, I remember following instructions written on worksheets and answering questions at the end to “test my understanding.” Instead, we should present a problem to our students, and let them take the highroad from there. Allow our students to be curious and investigate. Use manipulatives and ask questions. The article addresses the difference between elementary, middle, and high school students’ scientific vocabulary in comparison to the actual understandings of the concepts.
Like addressed in the article, teachers can prevent these misconceptions early on. Utilizing concept maps, constructing conceptual frameworks, questioning strategies, and clarifying information for students are many ways that this can be accomplished.
Jacey's Science Blog 