Barry+Ide


 * 5:34 PM, Monday August 3rd, 2009**

I looked back over the files we created earlier this summer and spent some time reviewing the scope and sequence for our sophomore biology course (~15 minutes). While none of the activities are fully developed and completely classroom-ready, they are all great concepts and I'm going to spend time over the next week polishing them for use in my classes this year. In addition to what we already hashed out during our workshop this past June, I would like to adapt an exercise dealing with //Elodea// in order to get students engaged with developing their own model of what it means to be alive (Characteristics of Living Things). The ultimate goal of this activity would be to have students identify the use of energy and the conversion of compounds through chemical reactions as central to living things. Hopefully this will dovetail nicely with the discussion of energy Nicholas suggested we undertake early in the course.


 * 5:05 PM, Monday, August 3rd, 2009**

I read "The Art of Socratic Questioning" this afternoon (about 1 hour or so). Published by //[|The Foundation for Critical Thinking]//, this short booklet of about 100 pages provided a detailed analysis of the types of questions used in Socratic dialog, the variety of different directions one might pursue a concept through Socratic dialog, the variety of systems of though Socratic dialog can address. Of particular interest to me were the transcripts of four Socratic lessons with students of various different age groups. The third one provided a look at how Socratic questioning can be used to help kick off a course in Biology by starting with the basic question of "What is Biology?"

This booklet already has me thinking of the variety of questions I might want to ask in Biology in order to generate discussion and help students think about the nature of living things and what they do. While certainly not limited to the modeling method, asking the right questions to guide student thinking seems to be integral to the modeling method... the role playing sessions between Nicholas, Mike, Nancy and myself certainly made that clear.


 * 5:00 PM, Thursday, July 30th, 2009**

Just finished spending about 60 minutes or so reviewing my previous posts and reading through the materials Nicholas shared with the group of us earlier in the summer. After so much time away from school it was a good review and has allowed me to get a better idea of where I am going with the modeling method now that I have the time to sit and think through all this.

My next steps include the following:


 * 1) Print and read the files Nicholas sent out on June 5th dealing with modeling energy
 * 2) Read "The Art of Socratic Questioning" published by //[|The Foundation for Critical Thinking]// to gain a more complete sense of the type and nature of the questions I will need to rely on in order to help students develop their own models
 * 3) Re-examine the 3-4 places I want to introduce the modeling concept into my biology classes.


 * 10:54 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009**

Here's a recent article from the Journal for Cell Biology Education that focuses on why students should talk more in the classroom.

The original article can be found at [].


 * 10:43 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009**

"Models in Biology"

Maybe its the late hour, but I struggled with this article. While the nature of science and the theory of models is clearly important, I am left with the impression that such an abstract discussion is not appropriate for the 2 1/2 day workshop we're conducting. Further, I find it frustrating to read such dense and complex prose when the author clearly has not taken the time to proof their work. Students in my class who submit work with the types of grammatical errors this author commits their work returned to them.

Maybe with the addition of discussion and a set of fresh eyes, I am got more from this article tomorrow.


 * 10:36 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009**

"Exothermic Bond Breaking: A Persistent Misconception"

Having worked laboriously on this concept with Nicholas earlier this week, I am now aware how my own actions and unthinking words have helped to perpetuate this misconception in my students. Realizing this, the task at hand is changing the way I refer to the exothermic nature of the hydrolysis of ATP without continuing to muddy the waters. Not only that, but I must be aware of the potential for confusion through the entire course. Simply mentioning it and attempting to clarify the concept when its first presented, but then lapsing into old habits will likely only serve to confuse the issue more. I need to strive to be clear in how I describe the energy relationships in covalent bonds, and work to change my own perspective about where the energy provided by the hydrolysis of ATP is coming from. Namely, from the formation of oxygen-phosphorus bonds and oxygen-hydrogen bonds after a phosphate has been cleaved from ATP. A first step which require the input of energy.


 * 10:30 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009**

"Managing Discourse During Class Discussion"

I have always enjoyed Socratic dialogue as a means of helping students develop their understanding of a concept. Unfortunately, it seems time and complacency have steered me away from this effective method of instruction. Given my own preference for it, and the apparent effectiveness of such questioning in a modeling context, it may be helpful for me to write a series of general, open-ended questions of the sort presented in the article. I could then refer to this list by either posting it prominently at my desk or taping inside my class note books as a perpetual reminder of the types of careful, probing questions I need to ask in order to help my students more fully understand the concept I am presenting them with.

I should also break out the Critical Thinking series Skip obtained for me a while back to see if it might have any relevance to Socratic dialogue and the modeling techniques we are exploring in this workshop.


 * 10:20 PM, Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009**

I found today's opening session to be helpful in gaining a better sense of the modeling technique. In particular, I developed a better sense of how the initial investigation should be set up, what information should and should not be shared with the students, and what types of questions will best help the students build their own understanding of the concept being studied. Clearly, this will take practice and patience... both on my students' part and on my own as well.

Some questions which may need to be resolved as we continue to explore this method more fully are how much consistency will there be from section to section, let alone from one teacher's classes to the next, and what form the finished product will take, particularly as it relates to the current lab book format we've been developing these past few years.