stem mom speaks to teachers at princeton university

Student Research Dr. Darci J. HarlandAuthor of the STEM Student Research HandbookYSAP @ Princeton UniversityApril 20, 2013

During Our Time TogetherFind Someone Who…STEM Student Research HandbookWhat is STEM?Defining InquiryNew Generation Science StandardsYou’re Turn: Challenges and

If you tweet about today’s event use hashtag #hsresearch

Find Someone Who…

The STEM Student Research Handbook

Included in the Handbook

Written to the studentTeacher cues withinChapter Question & ApplicationSample Rubrics

Groups, Technology, & Literacy

Tips for working in student groups

Suggestions for technology use

Literacy Aspects

Introduce Google Drive for sharing & collaborationWord DocumentsExcel spreadsheets

Assignments Proposal (Word)Data recording (Excel)

Defining STEMThe buzz word defined.

Welcome

What is STEM?

Welcome

Anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, earth science, geology, physics, and zoology.

Welcome

A) Tools used to build, create, and design, mechanical and digitalB) Digital teaching & learning

Welcome

Bioengineering, materials engineering, mechanical, environmental, civil, agricultural, optical, biomedical…

Welcome

Measurements, calculations, statistics; The language & tool of “STE.”

Welcome

?

Welcome

?

Science teaching is…Supporting students as they ask good questions, and use STEM tools to find answers to STEM related issues.

Focusing students on solving problems in context of something with which they can relate; students learn facts along the way.

The Truth About InquiryWhat you know…but many do not!

Misconceptions about Inquiry Inquiry is not…the same as “Hands-On.”

Students don’t need background information before they can begin learning.

Lab Reports and post lab questions are not usually Inquiry.

Its NOT Inquiry if… students know what results they are supposed to get.

the question and steps are predetermined for students.

the teacher is working harder than the students.

Demo-nstration

Activity Teacher-Initiated

Student-Initiated

Posing the Question

Teacher Teacher Teacher Student

Planning the Procedure

Teacher Teacher Student Student

Formulating the Results

Teacher Student Student Student

From: D. Llewellyn. 2002. Inquiry within: Implementing inquiry-based science standards. Thousand Oaks, Corwin Press.

An interview I did for NSTA regarding my book.

Levels of Inquiry

New Generation Science Standards & Framework

Nature of ScienceEngineering DesignScience, Technology, Society, & Environment

Best of the BestLet’s share what teaching and learning strategies work for each phase of the research process.

Phases of the Research Process

① Getting a topic② Finding mentors & materials③ Developing a Sound Research Design④ Background Research and Note taking⑤ Writing hypotheses and procedures⑥ Organizing a lab notebook⑦ Data collection (quantitative/qualitative)⑧ Statistics & Graphics⑨ Scientific Writing⑩ Oral Presentation of Research

For Your Assigned Phase Biggest challenge for students in this

phase:

Biggest challenge for teachers teaching this phase:

Ways to teach, support, and facilitate students during this phase:

Tips for teachers and things NOT to do during this phase:

For Research Design Phase (example)

Biggest challenge for students in this phase: Narrowing variable to be tested & constants

Biggest challenge for teachers teaching this phase: Focusing students’ excitement into a testable idea

Ways to teach, support, and facilitate students during this phase: Provide examples (pg. 33), Available tools (pgs. 6-

8) Tips for teachers and things NOT to do during

this phase: Allow them to conduct an experiment that you’ve

not approved.

Assess my Google Doc Go to http://www.STEMmom.org Click on the image there

This will allow all of us to compile a document of the best of the best.

Let’s Form Our Groups① Getting a topic② Finding mentors & materials③ Developing a Sound Research Design④ Background Research and Note taking⑤ Writing hypotheses and procedures⑥ Organizing a lab notebook⑦ Data collection (quantitative/qualitative)⑧ Statistics & Graphics⑨ Scientific Writing⑩ Oral Presentation of Research

For Your Assigned Phase Biggest challenge for students in this

phase:

Biggest challenge for teachers teaching this phase:

Ways to teach, support, and facilitate students during this phase:

Tips for teachers and things NOT to do during this phase:

Research Brain Blitz One group stays seated; the

other group will rotate 5 minutes to pick the brain of

your partner & to have your brain picked

Back In Your Phase Group Update your group’s thoughts Update Google Doc Determine how you’ll share

your findings with the group

Phases of the Research Process

Getting a Research Topic

Getting A Research Topic

www.TED.com

www.popsci.com

www.scientificamerican.com

dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters

www.scistarter.com

Search “Citizen Science”

Getting A Research Topic

Refine The Topic Idea

Harland, D.J. (2013) “The Devils in the Deadlines: Planning a Long-Term Research Project.” The Science Teacher, 80(1), 44-48.

Setting Deadlines

Sample Deadlines Focusing Preliminary Research Ideas

(SH#1) Research Design Table (SH#2) Background Research Questions

(SH#3) Evidence of library background

research Writing Hypotheses (SH#4) Research Proposal Organizing Laboratory Notebook

Sample Deadlines (cont.)

Evidence of Data Collection Organize Data into Tables &

Graphs Peer Editing of data tables &

graphs (SH#5) Rough Draft of Paper Peer Editing of Paper (SH#6) Oral Presentation

Finding Mentors & Materials

Drafting the Mentor EmailProper TitleExplanation of Student

BackgroundClear Identification of Need (time,

scope, level)Reference to Published WorkPreviewedMonitored

School Email Only Mentoring Guidelines Safety Protocol Permissions

Consider the tools…

Developing a Sound Research Design

Cost Analysis“Grocery List”

MaterialsConsumablesNon-consumablesVendor ComparisonCollaborative Bargaining Fund Management

Fundraising – Blog Event Sponsor

Background Research and Taking Notes

Writing across the curriculum Science teachers teaching library

research skills? Science teachers teaching note taking

skills? Science teachers teaching writing skills?

Talk to English department Work within the methods they use Documentation style (MLA/APA) & note

taking strategies

Confidence to Teach Literacy

Continue in Background Research

vs.

Identifying reliable resources Free Open Access

Scholarly research articles for free! See pg. 39 for a listing

Read-Read-Read & Take Organized Notes…

www.endnote.com

www.EasyBib.com

www.NoodleTools.com

Efficient Note Taking

Write 5 overarching questions to answer Entity Independent variable Dependent variable Connections between the 2

variables

My Note Taking System

References are Recorded on a single sheet

My Note Taking System

Notes are organized by 5 background questions.

Using a Wiki for Grading

Writing Hypotheses & Proposals

Hypothesis Writing

Wikis Easily editable webpages Multiple contributors Upload files and images Tabs “behind the page”

History-who made what edits Discussion

Using Google Drive for Grading

Google Drive: Revision History

Sample Wiki Homepage

Editing a Wiki

Tone of Feedback Oral and Written Supportive and Encouraging Find positive things to say/write. Don’t give them changes to

make, ask them more questions.

Types of Feedback Checking for understanding Checking for completion Do Until Accepted (DUA) Class Brainstorming Peer Editing

Lab Note BookTeaching accurate record keeping

Lab Notebook Record of

Observed changes Record of measurements Graphical Data Label sketches/photos

Write procedures Calculating Analyzing results

Lab Notebook Develop Tables for Recording

Data Quantitative (#) Qualitative (descriptions)

Pay Attention to the Details Monitor and record the influence of external variables

Keep pH, temperature, humidity, light, evaporation rate, etc… the SAME if this is not what you are testing.

+Observations vs. Inferences

A possible explanation for an observation

Your perception of what is happening.

Can change with additional data

Measurements. A record of what

is seen, heard, smelled, felt, or tasted.

Facts that can not be argued or changed.

Data Collection

Google Drive: Data Collection (Excel)

+Recording Observations & Inferences

Statistics & Graphs

+Descriptive vs. Inferential Stats Calculations that

describe the data Highlight the most

typical values in a set of data

Examples: Central tendency;

mean, median, mode

Range Standard

deviation Variance

Calculations that determine whether differences between groups are due to chance or to the treatment

Determines if results are statistically significant

Examples: t-tests ANOVA Chi-Square Correlation

What do the Data Mean?

1. What is true about my data? What new questions come from the data?

2. How do the data describe the relationship between the two variables?

IV DV

What do the Data Mean?

Did the change I make (IV), cause the effect I measured (DV)?

IV DV

Yes….why?

No….why?

What do the Data Mean?

3. Do the data support the hypothesis?

Proved Supported

How strongly do the data support the results?

If no connection….why?

What do the Data Mean?

Scientific Writing

Scientific Writing

Similar to writing in English class Proper grammar & spelling Topic Sentences & paragraph

organization Transition words for organization

Different than writing in English class Succinct writing is preferable

Passive vs. Active VoiceVoice & Pronoun Sample Sentence

Active Voice 1st Person (Future tense)

“I will remove the ball bearing.”

Active Voice1st Person (Past tense)

“I removed the ball bearing.”

Passive VoiceNo pronoun (Future tense)

“The ball bearing will be removed.”

Passive VoiceNo pronoun (Past tense)

“The ball bearing was removed.”

2nd PersonDirective

“Remove the ball bearing.”(Assumed You)

Oral Presentations& Publications

Student Publishing

Journal of Experimental Secondary Science (JESS)

Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)

Failure is Totally

An Option!

CollaborationMust be

Modeled & Taught

Two Key Ideas

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