SOCS-C: Making Work Work

I like the idea of providing a rich context when dealing with work. Bar graphs and flow diagrams seem like intuitive ways to do this. However, it seems like the article assumes a student's solid foundation of energy and various instances of it.

(Swackhamer)

SOCS-C: Teaching Introductory Physics 4.1 - 4.5, 4.8-4.9

I avoided most things that dealt with angles last year due to my students’ lack of mathematical preparation for it. I am beginning to recognize how to include these concepts without requiring technical calculations.

(Arons)

SOCS-P: Modeling Methodology for Physics Teachers

The multiple representations that we build are not simply aids to facilitate in strategic problem solving. Instead, they anchor a student’s conceptual change and are the critical foundation of the idea.

(Hestenes)

SOCS-P: Quick Before It Dries: Setting the Pattern for Active Participation from Day One

The way we set the tone for class is crucial and begins before students step in the door. With anticipated attendance issues and roster changes through week 2, I need to analyze the benefit/cost of certain activities sooner versus later.

(Adams)

SOCS-P: Teaching Introductory Physics 3.16-3.17, 3.20-3.24

It is amazing to see misconceptions so meticulously explained. It makes sense that students will not easily revise their current ideas that have been fruitful in making sense of their world thus far.

(Arons)

SOCS-I: Teaching Introductory Physics 3.1-3.13

I need to work on using words more precisely. I’m incredibly guilty of substituting vague or even incorrect terms pointed out by Arons when in my mind I’m trying to convey something else.

(Arons)

SOCS- P: A Modeling Method For High School Physics Instruction

The authors argue that professional development comes from sustained effort and reflection. We need a growth-minded community that supports members in achieving common goals. How much has this community grown since the article’s publication in 1995?

(Wells, Hestenes, Swackhamer)

SOCS-P: Explaining the "at rest" condition of an object

Students want to be consistent in their reasoning across situations. It seems that they will naturally try to organize and make order in their thoughts. We can help by giving them the right situations to make connections between.

(Minstrell)

SOCS-P: Teaching Introductory Physics 2.8-2.12;2.14-2.19

We cannot assume students have material mastered after the first (or even a few) exposures. It seems vital to spiral back to skills and concepts after small hiatuses, as learning can be a stubborn process.

(Arons)

SOCS-C: Learning and Instruction in Pre-College Physical Science

There is an inherent tradeoff between breadth of content covered and depth of content explored or freedom to spontaneously pursue an idea. Where is the line? What gets left out? Does it matter?

(Mestre)

SOCS P- Two Approaches to Learning Physics

I need to nuance my classroom thoughts and priorities. Next year, the focus will be on life skills instead of technical memorization, but without a clear goal it might be easy to get lost.

(Hammer)

SOCS-I: Teaching Introductory Physics 2.1-2.7

Introduce and build a concept. Have students find why it’s important. Only after, introduce the jargon. This puts emphasis on the idea and not on the memorization of a word.

(Arons)

SOCS-P: Teaching Introductory Physics 1.1-1.12; 1.17-1.18

These sections nicely line up with "Wherefore a Science of Teaching.” Specific mental constructs are necessary in order to build other concepts. Remediating and spiraling back to foundations should make learning other concepts much more efficient.

(Arons)

SOCS-I: How We Teach and How Students Learn

Contrive a situation to challenge a misconception, have students confront and resolve the issue, let them develop a new understanding for the principle, then rinse and repeat in a new context.

(McDermott)

SOC-I: Force Concept Inventory

It seems important to be able to predict where misconceptions will arise and then strategically target them. I’m worried for students that I wasn’t efficient in getting rid of enough.

(Hestenes, Wells, Swackhamer)

SOCS-I: Wherefore a science of teaching?

Specific mental structures are needed prior to the ability to grasp other concepts. Aha! This happened too often, but I did not know efficient techniques to build those structures.

(Hestenes)

Force Concept Inventory

I took the force concept inventory today. Where's the answer key? I want to know what I got! I'm fairly confident in my answers, but maybe I got tricked by some misconceptions. As I was going through the test, I definitely saw tons of areas where my students would have struggled.

The FCI seems like it would be a great pre and post test for mechanics topics. I would love to use a pretest to compile student data on particular questions and be able to target their prevalent misunderstandings. I like that it is completely focused on underlying concepts and doesn't get bogged down in the math.