Visible Thinking, Inquiry, and Discourse in the Science Classroom

Gary G. Abud, Jr.

@mr_abud

sagaeducators.org

Our Targets For Today

• Know the framework of the modeling cycle for inquiry-based learning

• Understand the goals of visible thinking and productive discussion

• Be able to identify action steps for implementing more inquiry-based learning, visible thinking, and productive student discussion in the classroom

The Plan• Introductions & Pre-assessment (5min)

• Modeling Cycle: The Spring Lab (30min)

• Whiteboarding & Visible Thinking (30min)

• Passing Time – Biggest takeaway

• Talk Moves For Productive Discussion (30min)

• Energy Bar & Pie Charts (30min)

• Passing Time – Biggest takeaway

• Practice – What Would Your Kids Say? (20min)

• Classroom Action Plan (20min)

• Q & A (10min)

• Post-assessment & Closure (5min)

Resources

• Goals & Talk Moves

• Whiteboarding and Questioning Techniques

• Energy Storage and Transfer Questions

• The Modeling Cycle

• Paint Swatch

Spring Lab

Focus: The Modeling Cycle and inquiry-based learning

Whiteboarding Energy

Focus: Making Thinking Visible & Talk Moves For Discussion

Practice | Debrief

Focus: Putting your learning to work in your own classroom

Introductions & Pre-assessment

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

• Dad & Husband

• High School Science Teacher

• PreK-12 Instructional Coach

• State Coordinator MI Modeling Instruction Project

• 2014 MI Teacher of the Year

CONTACT– Email: gary@sagaeducators.org

– Blog: abud.me/blog

– Twitter: @mr_abud

Laina Josephine11 Months Old

NGSS Disclaimer!

There is no NGSS…in Michigan…at least for now…

But we can still incorporate the student practices!

Pre-Assessment:inquiry, visible thinking, and discourse

I know of it I have tried it

I use it regularlyI could teach it

to someone

Current Level

HOW MIGHT WE TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Turn & Talk

Modeling Cycle: The Spring Lab

What would be the sequence of a typical unit on the topic of FORCES???

Typical Unit Sequence

1st

• Introductory Demonstration or Reading

• Given Notes: Vocab, Formulas, laws, etc.

2nd

• Reading

• Guided Practice | Independent Practice

3rd

• Experiment or Activity

• Review and Test

Experiment – Content Connection

• Experiments verify content

• Kids follow steps, much like a recipe

– Struggle to explain unexpected conclusions

• “Lab” and “lecture” connection isn’t always explicit to kids

Modeling Cycle

• Now entering “student mode”

– Play the role of the typical student in your class

• Note: this is not a behavior management workshop

Whiteboard Presentations

Board Meeting

&

Volunteer Poster Talks

Let’s Debrief…With Our Neighbors

• What did you notice about:

–the lab?

–the whiteboarding process?

Modeling Cycle

• Research-based | Arizona State University (25yr)

• Follows the 5E philosophy

• Experiment comes first, everything follows

• Development and then deployment of a “model”

• Models explain or predict

• Models can be modified with new evidence

• Continuous and contiguous content structure

• Student-centered, teacher-facilitated learning

• Ongoing unobtrusive formative assessment

Relevant Resources

• Modeling Cycle Handout

• Whiteboarding / Questioning Handout

BREAK TIME!

Break Homework:

Discuss with a friend one takeawayup to this point for you

TERC Talk Science Project

• Technical Education Research Centers (TERC)

• Talk Moves For Productive Discussion

• Actionable steps for developing student discourse

Goals of the Talk Moves

Share, expand, and clarify individual thinking

Listen carefully to one another

Deepen reasoning

Think with others

Let’s TALK About En…er…gy!

List things your students know about it…

Check out this stretchy spring!

• 4 Essential Energy Questions:

–Where is the energy stored in a spring?

–How does it get there?

–How does it get out?

–Where can it go?

How do we represent the energy?

Pie Charts

Qualitatively represent energy transfer

Quantitatively represent energy transfer

Bar Graphs

On a whiteboard, answer your Question from the handout

Be prepared to explain your board, and REMEMBER…you’re in “student

mode” now!

Relevant Resources

• Talk Moves Handout

• Physical Science Energy Situations

BREAK TIME!

Break Homework:

Discuss with a friend one takeawayup to this point for you

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

• Pair up your group with another group

– Group A: students

– Group B: teachers

• Practice “interrogating” about the whiteboard

– Use the Talk Moves handout to guide your practice

• Switch roles and practice some more

• Debrief the process

Questions and…Answers?

Action Planning Time: Job-Alike Groups• DISCUSS THESE QUESTIONS:

– What upcoming content might lend itself most readily to these methods?

– How could we restructure an existing unit to fit a ‘model-based’ design?

– Where could we use whiteboarding?

– Where could we use the Talk Moves?

• WRITE OUT YOUR PLAN:

– My next steps will be…

– Where I will need resources going forward is…

– My “keep me honest” partner will be…

Paint Swatch Post Assessment: What got you thinking today?

•That was interesting!Oooh!

•This makes sense now!Aaah!

•An idea to think over…Hmmm…

•A question about…Huh?

THANK YOU!