¶ … teaching space science. There are various complexities that affect the way that astronomy is taught, not the least of which is the enormity of scale that space science involves.
One of the basic requirements for understanding astronomy is coming to terms with the vastness of the universe. For example, a basic unit of astronomical measurement is the light year. Merriam-Webster defines the light year as "a unit of length in astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum or about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers" (2011). While this definition conveys factual data, it does little to make the concept real, that is, accessible to the average student.
Moreover, trying to convey the reality of light traveling at the unimaginably fast speed of 299,792 kilometers per second (186,282 miles per second) is indeed mind-boggling. Even at such amazing speeds, light takes years to travel to us from the stars, and takes thousands or even millions of years to travel the depths of space between galaxies. When dealing with those kinds of distances it is easy to understand thinking of them as being beyond the grasp of the average individual. To make these quantities more manageable requires putting them into the context of a well-understood frame of reference; doing so helps them to have more meaning (Discovery Education, 2011).
Another challenge for students is being able to relate to how the body of knowledge that makes up modern astronomy has been accumulated. This scientific process has been impacted by many constraints, not the least of which is scientists having to study the universe notwithstanding the fact that they are grounded here on Earth. This limitation affects our ability to understand where we fit...
Teaching Machines Although Burrhus Frederick Skinner is better known for his seminal work in behaviorism, the psychologist also explored a first wave of computer science. In "Teaching Machines," B.F. Skinner (1958) proposes a set of technological tools that can enhance the learning experience and even supplant the student-teacher relationship. Skinner (1958) suggests that there are distinct advantages to using teaching machines: such as individualized instruction and student-driven learning. In "Teaching Machines,"
Students in the 21st century have the opportunity to learn at a rapid pace, through the use of new media and new pedagogical methods. New media shifts the pedagogical focus away from fragmented knowledge towards a more integrative and multidisciplinary understanding of the natural world. 21st century learning engages students with material, encouraging them to think creatively and critically rather than simply learning by rote memorization. Science curricula in public
Teaching Video-Journal to Adult Learners It is a widely-accepted fact that the process of reflection is a fundamental construct of transformative learning, allowing learners to make deeper meaning of their life experiences, attitudes, and assumptions by linking the same to the conceptual models and theories of their actual practice (Lamb, Lane & Aldous, 2013). Researchers contend that the developmental process of having to nurture the abilities of learners by exposing them
Teaching Journal Today being a productive teacher is more challenging than ever. Children are much more used to varied classroom approaches, with the Internet, computers and other electronic equipment becoming the norm. Gone are the days when students sit quietly in their seats while the teacher stands and does mathematics on the chalkboard and reads from a textbook. I believe I am well prepared to meet this educational challenge. I know it
An appropriate dance for a small, rural classroom in the Midwest during Christmas would not necessarily be appropriate in a multiethnic and multilingual large urban school, or at very least modifications might need to be made in the lesson plan. Using the teacher's body as a presentation technique, and observing dances are some of the helpful suggestions offered by the book. Also, using the children's own innate sense of movement
Opening up to students is very important for teachers. While it is obviously not appropriate for a teacher to confide intimate personal details to the class, or gossip about others to try to be more accepted, there are ways that a teacher can seem more 'real' to the students. For example, crying over something very sad or letting the students know when the teacher is getting angry with their
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