Читать книгу Giving Students a Say - Myron Dueck - Страница 31

Chemistry Learning Targets Identify and explain the causes of acid precipitation based on the chemical equations. Describe the pH conditions required for normal precipitation to be termed "acid precipitation." Investigate and summarize the impacts and general environmental problems of acid precipitation.

Geography Learning Targets List the polluting chemicals that are associated with acid precipitation. Identify and explain three different types of acid precipitation. Describe the sources of human activity associated with acid precipitation. Outline solutions to minimize the damage of acid precipitation.

Source: Courtesy Ben Arcuri and Russ Reid. Used with permission.

Once the classes had tackled the general targets, students constructed their own learning targets based on interest or curiosity. In most cases, these targets were more specific and sophisticated as students delved deeper into a specific issue around acid precipitation. Their questions included the following:

 What is the effect of acid precipitation on salmon spawning habitats?

 What is the effect of acid precipitation on coral reefs?

 How is the population of small freshwater creatures affected by acid precipitation?

 How are both ancient and modern-day infrastructures affected by acid precipitation? Have building processes changed owing to acid rain?

Once students had chosen a focus question, they conducted research to craft their response and designed a classroom display to present their findings. Students then did a gallery walk, examining the various displays, asking questions, and having conversations on what they'd learned.

Grade 12 student Emily commented on the experience of creating her group's question:

At first, our group didn't really know what to do because we've always been told exactly what to study. Then, after a few minutes of talking in our group, we all agreed on a big topic, then narrowed it down a little. In the end, we were a lot more comfortable sharing out what we researched because we got to pick our own topic.

Ben reflected on the process, particularly on the effects of letting the students determine the focus of their final learning goal:

I witnessed that students appeared to be more confident when sharing information and understanding they had chosen to investigate. Many students were uncomfortable with the assignment at first but became more self-assured throughout the process. It seemed they were more engaged researching a topic of interest rather than one assigned.

It was during the gallery walk that Russ saw the results of student-directed learning:

During the gallery walk, students were more prepared and confident to share their research. Typically during these types of assignments, student reread the information directly from their poster. However, this time they were more apt to go off script and [were] capable of answering questions not directly found in their responses.

Ben and Russ's approach to developing learning targets with students aligns closely with Dylan Wiliam's concept of co-construction. Wiliam (2018) argues for a "mechanism whereby students can discuss and come to own the learning intentions and success criteria, making it more likely that they will be able to apply the learning intentions and success criteria in the context of their own work" (p. 64). To be clear, this is not about unleashing your students to take over the learning targets. Wiliam contends that the process is not wholly democratic, in that teachers are in a "privileged position with respect to the subject being taught" (p. 64) and therefore should have a strong presence when learning targets are being cocreated.