Week 10

I liked this week’s reading. It was very thorough in detailing the steps necessary to create scientists out of students essentially. I liked how the authors stated that science is a process of practices and discovery, instead of a collection of random facts to regurgitate on a test. However, to appreciate that, the curriculum needs to be continuous from K-12, where students can build upon a foundation and refine their knowledge and ways of thinking. There needs to be content organized around core ideas, similar to how experts think in terms of extension around core principles, rather than memorizing disconnected superficial facts like novices do. I think this is a great way to educate students not only on science, but also on just to develop the necessary analytical skills to excel in life. I also liked how the authors introduced the concept of engineering design process into the classroom, where students can apply their knowledge and practices to more immediately applicable problems. At one point the authors talked about the “sense of wonder,” which is something I think would be instrumental in keeping students interested in science. They need to be amazed by some aspects of science and come up with questions and theories, so they would have a sense of ownership into what they learn and I think that would provide a positive cycle for learning. Overall I think the reading is very illuminating in laying down the progression and the broad steps we need to take to unify science learning into something that’s continuous and deep. However, it seems to be a tall order as organizing science education from the K-12 level would undoubtedly run into political and logistical issues. In addition, the authors didn’t mention testing requirements, which are mandated by the government and seem to focus more on breadth over depth. There are a lot of questions that need to be sorted out in order for next generation science standards to proceed effectively.