PGDT 2 Chapter 2 for power point.docx

Section 2.1. Chalkboard notes and Illustrations in Physics Class ================================================================   - If you find that you\'ve made a mistake, explain it, then go back and make corrections. If you are modifying a draw...

Section 2.1. Chalkboard notes and Illustrations in Physics Class ================================================================   - If you find that you\'ve made a mistake, explain it, then go back and make corrections. If you are modifying a drawing, use dotted lines or some other technique to show changes. Remember, that a student can\'t make the same erasures that you do without loosing his/her written record of intermediate steps: you can alter parts of a drawing much faster than he/she can reproduce the whole thing. - Fill in one panel at a time, always starting at the top and moving down. Underline, or in some other way mark, the most important parts of your presentation \-- the major assumptions, or conclusions, or the intermediate steps that you plan to refer to later on. Colored chalk may help to clarify drawings. - At best, the chalkboard is only a teaching aid. It can\'t substitute for a logical presentation of the material. Break your presentation into manageable parts and give students a chance to deal with facts and concepts as you present each part, or just afterward. Then verbally outline the next part of your presentation. If you don\'t do this, your students may be copying blindly, without any idea of where you are going. - Maintain eye contact with your students. Do not talk to the chalkboard and do not obstruct their view of what you have written---write, [then] talk. - Print large and neatly. Script is very difficult to read. Use upper and lower case letters. The letters should be about 2cm tall for each 3m of viewing distance. - Check for glare on the board. Close the blinds if necessary. If there are chalkboard lights, turn them on. - Put material on the board before class. - Use colored chalk only for emphasis. Be certain that the colors used are visible from the back of the classroom. Do not use more than four different colors at a time.  Section 2.2. Teacher Made Diagrams for Secondary School Physics Learning ========================================================================  Vector Diagrams: ----------------  Motion diagrams --------------- Schematic diagrams ------------------ Force diagrams --------------  Free body diagrams ------------------ - Identifying a force correctly, but not knowing which way it points. - Including forces exerted by the object, not just forces exerted on the object. - Not using a coordinate system, or using an inappropriate one (say using always the one with horizontal x-axis and vertical y-axis even if the problem requires tilted coordinate systems). - Placing the tips, rather than the tails, of the vectors at the origin, this makes it hard to determine the net force and components of the forces. - Placing components of forces at wrong positions and confusing some components with the exerted forces. In a college introductory physics course I observed that many of the - Placing action-and-reaction force pairs on wrong diagrams and mostly on the same object. Section 2.3. Concept Maps as Illustrations and Summary in Physics Learning ==========================================================================  +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ | | | | | | | | +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ | | Can be | | | | | | +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ | | | | | | | | +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ | | | | | | | | +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ | | | | | | | | +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+ 1. It must represent a hierarchy of ideas ranging from the most general idea to the apex to the most specific idea at the base. 2. The link between any two ideas must have a word or phrase which describes the relationship and is scientifically valid. 3. The concept map must be revised each time new information is included and when incorrect relationships are discovered. Using Concept Maps ------------------  Using Concept Maps for Physics Lesson Planning: ----------------------------------------------- - Educators and pedagogists list major criteria to be met in lesson planning: - Continuity - Sequencing, - Integration. - Concept maps aid physics teachers in achieving these criteria. - Concept maps suggest possible sequencing for lessons in the form of hierarchies of ideas, - They show proper sequencing and continuity within lessons by visualizing relationships, - Concept maps help physics teachers by organizing their lessons from simple to complex from concrete to abstract. - Physics educators and researchers help physics teachers in developing curricula using concept mapping. - Instruction is linear in form, and concept maps are two-dimensional, showing interrelationships as well as hierarchies. Thus, the concept map can suggest a variety of integrated approaches. Use of Concept Maps in Physics Instruction: ------------------------------------------- - Concept maps can be used as advance organizers to set the stage for units on new material or for individual lessons. - In the constructivist teaching of physics, concept maps are effective, concise, and visual presentation of the process and goal of learning to the student. So, they result in effective communication of the goal of learning in physics class. - Concept maps aid children in internalizing the scope of the material and, more important, in seeing the ways different aspects of material connect to form an integrated whole. - Concept maps can be used for review. Actually, at every step of the lesson or in every lesson students can use the concept map to see how it is related with the previous lesson and to their learning goal. Use of Concept Maps For Assessing Physics Learning: ---------------------------------------------------  1. Choose the concepts, i.e. key words or very short phrases, you wish to use in your map. Don't choose too many at this stage. Write them out on small separate pieces of paper. 2. Rank the list of concepts from the most abstract and inclusive to the most concrete and specific to establish a hierarchy. 3. Group the concepts according to two criteria: a. Concepts that seem to be at similar levels of generality or specificity; b. Concepts that are closely related. 4. Arrange the concepts as a two-dimensional array rather like a family tree with the most general concepts at the top. 5. Try to think of words or phrases that could link the concepts together so that it makes scientific sense. If you can't make a link at this point leave out the concept for the time being. 6. When you are satisfied that the map now reflects your current understanding, draw it out on a sheet of A4 paper. 7. Link the related concepts with lines and label them with the connecting phrase or word which describes the logical connections and which makes sense when read in conjunction with the concepts. 8. Be prepared to revise your map. A concept map should allow the reorganization and reconstruction of idea in order to create a dynamic framework for knowledge and understanding. Section 2.4. Graphs and graphical representations in Secondary School Physics Learning ======================================================================================  Graphs in Secondary School Physics -------------------------------------------------------- 1. Graphs must be visible. Graphs are in the first place visual communication tools. If they are not visible for some reason, they do not serve the purpose of the physics teacher at all. a. Give serious consideration to where you plot graphs. The area on which you plot graphs must be large enough for the graph to be visible. b. Clean the area on which you plot the graph so that no other ghost writing or drawing creates distortion and confusion. c. Plot with bright colors (contrasting colors with respect to the plane of the area) d. Plot large enough. Axes and any mark on it, or any writing on the graph, must be large enough to be visible to the audience. 2. Use drawing aids. At least you need to use a chalkboard ruler in class to plot axes and other straight lines perfect. Insist that students also use drawing tools (mathematical set). 3. Decide on what you wanted to represent with the graph. What is the phenomena concerned? What is the relation, law, principle the graph demonstrates? What is the instructional value of the graph to that physics class? Answer these and related questions. 4. Identify unique features of the relationship to be represented by the graph. When it is a theoretical graph, you have the equation already and therefore, such points as intercepts and extrema points must be identified first. 5. Decide on the scale for the axes. Scales should be selected, beside other things, in relation to the visibility of the important characteristics of the graph. 6. Start from axes. Before you plot the function (data) start with axes. e. Use angle measuring device (protractor) or any other method for the axes to be as perpendicular as possible. Use a ruler to draw straight axes. f. Label axes such that the horizontal one will be the independent variable and the vertical one is the dependent variable. g. Divide the lengths of the axes according to the scale you wanted to use and indicate the magnitude the mark on an axis represents. h. At the right end (for horizontal axis) and top end (for the vertical axis) write the unit of the scale. 7. Clearly mark important points. Where should the graph start? Where is the maximum (or minimum) point for the dependent variable be? Section 2.5. Demonstrations with Software and Experiments =========================================================  - During the introduction a unit or a lesson, physics teachers can use demonstrations to set the agenda of the lesson or challenge students to focus and investigate a phenomena. - During the lesson delivery demonstrations can be used to illustrate concepts, lows, principles, or show a phenomena being described. - In lesson delivery again, important data can be generated to support discussion or reconstruction of physical relationships. - At the end of a lesson, or a unit, demonstrations can be used to bring different ideas together and summarize the lesson. It can also be used as a revision strategy though this can be bizarre to bring the phenomena at the end of the lesson. - Cleaver physics teachers can use demonstrations to assess the status of students learning of physics or a physics concept. - Finally, demonstrations can be used to encourage students to keep working with the topic covered and extend their knowledge about the phenomena beyond the class time and the curriculum limits.   1. Identify the concept and principles you wish to teach. Direct the design of the entire demonstration and assessment to their attainment. 2. If the principle you wish to teach is complex, break it down into concepts and give several examples for each concept. 3. Choose an activity that will show the concepts you wish to teach. 4. Design the activity so that each student becomes as involved as possible. 5. Gather and assemble the necessary equipment. 6. Practice the demonstration at least once before class. 7. Outline the questions you will ask during the demonstration. This procedure is especially important in doing an inquiry-oriented demonstration. 8. Consider how you may use visual aids in the demonstration. Some of the demonstrations could be with complicated apparatus requiring elaboration with diagrams, or very small parts requiring magnification and projection with LCD. 9. Decide on the assessment. - Written Techniques a. Essay Have students take notes and record data during the demonstration, and then have them write a summary of the demonstration. b. Quiz: Have students write answers to questions or prepare diagrams to see if they really under-stand the demonstration. Stress application of scientific principles. - Verbal Techniques a. Ask students to summarize the purpose of the demonstration. b. Give them problems in which they must apply the principles they have learned. 10. Consider the time a demonstration will take. Try to move it rapidly enough to keep students attentive. Prolonged or complicated demonstrations are generally undesirable because they fail to hold students\' attention. 11. When you plan a demonstration, do it well, with the intention that you will probably use it for several years. Evaluate a demonstration immediately after giving it to determine its weaknesses and strengths. 1. **Make it easily visible.** If you are working with small things, make sure all students can see the demonstration with a digital camera and a projector. At least you can improve visibility by repeating the demo at different places in your classroom. 2. **Explain the set-up first.** Before you start with the demonstration, explain the different parts of the apparatus and emphasize which part to focus on. In some cases, it is necessary to draw the schematic diagram and circuit diagram (as the need may be) to illustrated the set-up of the demonstration. 3. **Speak loudly.** Your explanations of parts and objectives of the demo should be well communicated to your students. Besides, engage your students by modulating the tone and volume of your voice to avoid monotonous delivery. 4. **Display excitement in giving the demonstration.** Make it \"come alive.\" You yourself have to be interested in the phenomena you are displaying and the problem you are solving. 5. **Stage the demonstration.** Involve everyone immediately. One suggestion is to place unique objects on a demonstration desk. For example, a transfusion container or a van de Graft generator placed on a desk immediately motivates students\' inquisitive minds. Before you begin, have the students with you, wondering what will happen. 6. **Directly involve students.** You can not let every student in your class have the direct experience of the demonstration. However, you can involve some of them in helping with the demonstration, reading scales of measurement, or recording the data on the chalkboard. This way you can generate a feeling of direct involvement and ownership among students. 7. **Teach inductively.** Start your demonstration with a question. If you have interesting equipment, ask your students what they think you are going to do with it. Spend some time asking questions about the apparatus. 8. **Ask questions.** Questions are central to physics demonstrations. You need to guide and focus students' attention on what you want them to observe. Constantly ask what\'s happening, why they think it is happening, and what the demonstration is proving or illustrating. 9. **Know the purpose of the demonstration.** Be ready to pick up suggestions from the questions students ask while they are observing the demonstration. 10. **Give positive reinforcement**. Always recognize all students\' answers. 11. **Give time to think.** Allow at least three seconds for students to reply to your questions. This wait time is important so that the students may think about and reason out the demonstration. 12. **Evaluate your lesson.** Without evaluating your demonstration and students' learning of the physics you are demonstrating, you can not be sure if you are effective. As they are very valuable to teach physics, demonstrations can be disappointing for various reasons. For one or the other reason students may not observe what you wanted them to observe or they may misunderstood them.