W03 journal

• From your history and personal experiences, what does it mean to think mathematically/scientifically?

Thinking scientifically and mathematically means to use one's logic to come to a resolution of ideas. Given information and facts, one works through the information given and previously known information, makes connections and test hypotheses to come up with a conclusion.

• What lessons might we draw from the Fish is Fish story in relation to human learning?

After viewing the Fish is Fish the lesson I draw is that our prior knowledge really doe influence our learning. It is our exposure to things that shape how we assimilate new information. In the story Fish envision all the creatures Frog is telling him about as fish, but with the "appendages" that Frog describes. Humans will also connect things this way. One simple example I can think of is once order an "arroz con pollo" dish at a restaurant which's name I don't recall. I was shocked when I got two pieces of chicken and a pile of white rice on the side. I am Colombian and Arroz con Pollo to us is yellow rice with vegetables and shredded chicken mixed in, with a good dollop of ketchup on top! I was conection my previous knowledge and did not even consider I would get something else. I think one of the main ways humans learn is by association.

Your Ideas about the Seasons - Without Googling or looking up the correct answer, think about how you would respond to the following two questions:

• What causes the seasons?

Seasons are caused by the position of the Earth in orbit. The Earth's Tilt in relation to the sun and the position in its orbit around the sun determine which areas of the planet are experiencing certain seasons.

• What causes the phases of the moon?

The phases of the moon are caused by the position of the moon, sun an earth. The moon is always its same spherical shape but depending on where it is in relation to the Earth and Sun, sunlight reflects over some, all or none of the surface of the moon.

• Explain and justify your responses.

I have recently started teaching Earth & Space science one period a day. I am slowly re-remembering and sometimes even re-learning some of the information and the explanations I stated above.

Now, view the responses of these students, including Harvard Graduates.

Consider the following:

• In the responses of these students, what struck you as interesting or important?

I think it is most interesting that pretty much all of the interviewees thought that summer and winter are caused by Earth being really close or far fro the sun. The grain of truth in their thoughts is that the sun affects the seasons, but at no point do they realize it is the Earth's tilt toward/away from the sun that causes the change in season and not being at one end of the orbit fro another.

• In each of the cases, how might what the students say make (at least) some sense?

Again, the students do relate the sun with the hotter temperatures of summer, so they have some knowledge but are missing the whole picture. I can also understand why they connect the moon to Earth's shadow as in general shadows are created when light is blocked.

• Why, for example, would they say that seasons are caused by the closeness to the sun?

The students believe that Earth's orbit is a very obvious ellipse, they do not realize how close it is  to circular.

• Where might the students have acquired the idea about the clouds and the phases of the moon?

This may be possible because clouds do sometimes block our view of objects in the sky, but this is unrelated to the phases themselves.

EXPLAIN:

Some Questions to Ponder:

• What does it mean to know and/or learn?

To know something is to understand it and know how to use that information. When you truly know something you should be able to explain it to someone else. Learning is taking in new information, making connection with the old and understanding the new information and ideas.

• What does it mean to be a competent mathematics or science student?

Being a competent mathematics or science student means being able to recall previous information and use it to work out new information. It is also important to have the ability to logically work through something, learning from mistakes and getting to a final solution, and understanding the how and why not just providing a number or statement with no basis.

• What does learning mean? How is learning different from or similar to understanding?

I think learning and understanding are closely linked....but I suppose there are some differences. As children we learn language just by hearing others speak - while it is true we learn about grammar and such in school, learning language almost seems innate. I think in order to truly learn most things that are not innate, it is essential to understand them.

• How can you get at what students are thinking? How can you assess knowing and learning?

I think to asses knowing and learning I have to concentrate on observation and listening. To really see what students are thinking, I have to be able to look at their day to day processes, what they do with new information and how they work through new information and knowledge.

EXTEND:

Think about it.....what does it mean to be an expert?

I think being an expert is all about having a deep knowledge of a specific area. This is a combination of knowing the facts related to that topic as well as understanding any processes involved. In order to truly be an expert at something, the person usually is very interested in one topic or even a small section within a topic and learns all he/she can about that area.