Science Modeling Talks

In this episode, Mark talks with Ray Howanski, CEO of the AMTA. They talk about the origins of AMTA, the big ideas behind modeling instruction, and how the modeling community has changed over time. They talk about the plans that are ahead for AMTA, including a new website and easier ways to connect teachers to one another. They finish with talking about efforts to include data science in the modeling framework and to keep science involved in the larger discussion of data science in education. Guest Ray Howanski Ray Howanski worked for Ridley School District teaching Chemistry and Biology for 22 years and then as a Curriculum Director for the next 13 years. He worked with their science department to grow modeling instructional practices during which time they inverted the science sequence to offer a Physics - Chemistry - Biology progression. Ray is currently serving as the executive officer for AMTA.   Highlights [10:35] Ray Howanski "I think that's really what modeling does. It gives teachers that really foundational piece of resources that they can then go and blossom in each of their teaching environments." [41:52] Ray Howanski "now I can improve my understanding and accept information like evidence-based thinking and the ability to change your mind. Just those things. Learning how to have a face-to-face conversation. And learn from each other. These are things I think that whether you're a science person or not, I think we would all recognize that these are things we want people in our society to be able to do." Resources Download Transcript Ep 69 Transcript Links Get Involved! amtaexec@modelinginstruction.org

In this episode, Mark talks with Ray Howanski, CEO of the AMTA. They talk about the origins of AMTA, the big ideas behind modeling instruction, and how the modeling community has changed over time. They talk about the plans that are ahead for AMTA, including a new website and easier ways to connect teachers to one another. They finish with talking about efforts to include data science in the modeling framework and to keep science involved in the larger discussion of data science in education. Guest Ray Howanski Ray Howanski worked for Ridley School District teaching Chemistry and Biology for 22 years and then as a Curriculum Director for the next 13 years. He worked with their science department to grow modeling instructional practices during which time they inverted the science sequence to offer a Physics - Chemistry - Biology progression. Ray is currently serving as the executive officer for AMTA.   Highlights [10:35] Ray Howanski "I think that's really what modeling does. It gives teachers that really foundational piece of resources that they can then go and blossom in each of their teaching environments." [41:52] Ray Howanski "now I can improve my understanding and accept information like evidence-based thinking and the ability to change your mind. Just those things. Learning how to have a face-to-face conversation. And learn from each other. These are things I think that whether you're a science person or not, I think we would all recognize that these are things we want people in our society to be able to do." Resources Download Transcript Ep 67 Transcript Links Get Involved! amtaexec@modelinginstruction.org

In this episode, Mark talks with Cynthia Passmore, who is a professor of science education at the University of California, Davis. They talk about the differences between the approach to modeling developed at ASU and UC Davis, which seem to be more and more similar as time goes by. They talk about how all of our understanding in scientific study is based on models, even if we do not specifically hold those up as "models" per se. We use mental models to explain the world around us and to better understand how and why certain interactions happen the way they do. They talk about modeling instruction and the Next Generation Science Standards and how modeling really gets students to do the thinking as scientists and make the connections between what we see and the explanations for what we see. They talk about Cynthia's new book, even get to talk about some of Cynthia's recent research on effective teaching using modeling methods in the high school biology classroom. Guest Cynthia Passmore Cynthia Passmore is currently a Professor specializing in science education in the University of California, Davis School of Education. She did her doctoral work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and prior to that she was a high school science teacher. Her research focuses on the role of models and modeling in student learning, curriculum design and teacher professional development. She investigates model-based reasoning in a range of contexts and is particularly interested in understanding how the design of learning environments interacts with students’ reasoning practices. She has been the principal investigator of several large grants and is the lead on a collaborative curriculum design project that has created a full-year high school biology course. A key practitioner publication is the edited volume: Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices from NSTA Press. Highlights [2:44] Cynthia "I think the inclusion of modeling as a practice in the next generation Science standards has also brought a lot more people to the work of modeling than used to be the case." [3:25] Cynthia "Models are the functional unit of scientific thought." [7:51] Cynthia "The depiction is important. I'm not trying to say it's not, but if all we're doing is asking kids to reproduce representations and depictions of things, then we're losing the modeling practice, in my view." Resources Download Transcript Ep 65 Transcript Links Modeling Based Biology - Living Earth

In this episode, Mark talks with Kathy Harper, a senior lecturer in engineering education at The Ohio State University. She tells us about how she found her way to a modeling workshop half her lifetime ago, and how modeling has changed her life. They also talk about the work that Kathy has done bringing modeling workshops to Ohio, and then having workshops to develop small activities to bring tastes of engineering to our science courses. We hope you enjoy listening! Guest Bios Kathy Harper Kathy Harper is a senior lecturer in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University, teaching in the Fundamentals of Engineering for Honors program. Her involvement with Modeling Instruction began in 1995. She has directed dozens of workshops for Ohio science teachers in Modeling Instruction, piloting the first workshops to incorporate engineering content into the Modeling framework. Her research includes an array of educational topics, but most recently centers on assessing classroom-level innovations. She has made conference and workshop presentations on topics such as problem solving, cooperative learning, reflective journaling, first-year engineering courses, and, of course, Modeling. Facebook Highlights [26:05] Kathy Harper, talking about starting to develop engineering content using a modeling framework "what if we offer a one-week workshop for people that have already taken a modeling workshop to come in and we'll just work through ways that we can add engineering into an existing modeling curriculum. ...But one of the things I really remember was one teacher said "My advanced students are usually debating between a career in medicine or a career in engineering. And they all feel like they understand what medicine is. And so I think they're more likely to choose that, but they don't really understand what engineering is." ...So we worked then as a group to think about some activities that we could add, just to introduce students to engineering design that were largely independent of content." [40:01] Kathy Harper, talking about funding for modeling workshops and state funding for professional development "we need to do something to get those mechanisms back in place so that we can support these state-level, or at least, you know, portion of state-level workshops, where again, like-minded teachers can get together, talk about the content and the pedagogy. Where we can teach these workshops for the people who teach these workshops are real K-12 classroom teachers. Not university people like me; people that teach in very similar circumstances to the people attending the workshops. Those are key." Resources Transcript Ep 63 Transcript

This month, Mark talks with the executive officer of the AMTA, Ray Howanski. They talk about the importance of getting at student thinking and effective student-led discussions, and the transformation that happens when students start being the scientists rather than just looking to the authority figure for the "right answers." They talk about the difference between modeling workshops and distance learning courses and the value of time spent face-to-face, especially for a teacher's first or first in-depth experience with modeling instruction. They discuss what the AMTA has been working on and what's coming soon as well as ways to get involved in the work that the AMTA is doing to improve curricular materials and set the standards for some new technology.

In this episode, Mark talks with Patrick Daisley, long-time modeler and science teacher. They talk about challenges he had when a beginner modeler, good advice that he took and made part of his own routine, and developing a modeling instruction framework and curriculum for integrated science, physics and chemistry. They talk about the origin of the AMTA and Patrick's part in it.

Mark talks with veteran physics teacher and proponent of physics first in high school. He talks about how the connecting thread of energy should start in middle school and continue through 12th grade. They talk about the Cactus Caucus, advocating to get funding for more teacgers to get state certified to teach STEM classes in Arizona. Then they talk about the Arizona STEM Acceleration Project, which brings on teacher fellows each year. One benefit of this program for all teachers is the free content produced by their STEM fellows, including some modeling-friendly materials in their lesson plan archive.