What We Call Misconceptions May Be Necessary Stepping-Stones Towards Making Sens
When teaching science there are many misconceptions that students can have in any lesson that the teacher might teach. This article gives teachers resources and tips on how to work past thes... See More
When teaching science there are many misconceptions that students can have in any lesson that the teacher might teach. This article gives teachers resources and tips on how to work past these misconceptions. One way that I thought was really beneficial was not rejecting the student's misconceptions but instead, guide the students with resources and investigations to get rid of those misconceptions. This article also had a table with strategies for supporting student sense-making that can also help the student get rid of those misconceptions which I think will be useful when I have my own classroom to help me guide my students thinking.
Misconceptions as Stepping Stones
A great part of learning is that we get to challenge our ideas, and as teachers, we must set out students up with learning opportunities that are hands on and inquiry based. We can not just ... See More
A great part of learning is that we get to challenge our ideas, and as teachers, we must set out students up with learning opportunities that are hands on and inquiry based. We can not just teach the information by giving the students the answer and have them memorize facts. According to this article, the authors states that "When their misconceptions are “corrected,” students learn that their own ideas need to be replaced by other ideas that they don’t fully understand. When this happens, students will likely memorize official “school” knowledge but fall back on their original ideas when thinking about and explaining the outside world, since they naturally reason with their own real-world experiences, language, and rules for validating claims." What we should do is allow the students to communicate and collaborate, building of one another's idea to develop an explanation for the phenomenon. The teacher should guide learning by being supportive. When students received high instructional support by reflecting and making connections with experiences they have had, their understanding and motivation is much more present. I love that, and that is why I recommend this article.