The Science Classroom

Module 2 of the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction has started at SNU. What does the mean for me as a student in the program? It means that all of the things I have been asking my students to do are now being asked of me. One of the major goals of the Educational Research Module is to “Be able to identify and formulate research questions and hypotheses.”  Not entirely surprising  that a graduate level class would be having us do this kind of higher-level thinking.  If the rigor were not in the program, I wouldn’t be in it. (on a side note: I was a little worried about it – I mean it’s one night a week!)

This week I have to come up with a research question (it probably wouldn’t surprise you that I am considering looking at the effect of social media on student learning would it?), decide what I am going to study during our “ethnographic foray at Penn Square Mall, and find 5 citations of scholarly articles from 3 different databases.

Of course I should have talked to my in-house research expert before beginning my homework (@mishelleyb). She has already taken the class and has had a plenty of practice since she is an innovator at her school. Half way through, she suggested that I use every homework opportunity to build my research for the major project. Now why didn’t I think of that?!?

So at least I got one resource that will fit nicely with my research question. Oh, did I not mention that? Here goes: something like “Does social media positively affect student learning?” Do any of you have any insight on this project?  The specialist and I discussed (briefly) what I am going to have to cover in my literature review:

• student learning, i.e. styles and processes
• cognitive development
• multiculturalism
• change implementation
• staff development

Talk about a daunting task! I have a lot of work to do. Looking at this list, its easy to see how they all need to be integrated (especially the first three). The last two are easily integrated; I have to think about how I will “convince” other teachers and administrators that this type of interaction with students is useful and needed. Not only that, I have to decide how to approach the teaching of the teachers once I have convinced them change is necessary.

My purpose here is multi-faceted. I also am the chair of a sub-committee on the Putnam City Technology Committee and have been tasked with exploring this very subject. I still can’t believe agreed to do that!

Now that I have rambled on…the point of my whole post was to say (for myself as much as for anyone else) I am only being asked to do the same things I am asking my students to do: think critically.

On the drive in this morning, I was listening to an interview with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The interviewer, Bob Edwards, asked them “what would you do different?” The unanimous response was “not take drugs, that wasted a lot of time”. This statement got me thinking, “what would I do different?”

I’ve been reading a biography about Werner Heisenberg, the guy who developed the aptly named “Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle”. This principle states (my interpretation) that you cannot know both the position and velocity of a particle (such as an electron) with any degree of certainty. The reason for this that the mere act of measuring either the position or velocity will change the other value. I know, its deep and hard to grasp (for me at least). Anyway, I have been reading, in depth, about his family and his early years (I’m still at the beginning of the book) and it goes into detail about how young Werner spent his idle time. It seems that he didn’t have much idle time, actually. He spent a good deal of time doing schoolwork. This raises a question for me: “what would I do differently if I didn’t have the internet or television or other “Time Wasters”.

Where would we be as a society if we didn’t have as much free time? Does our dependence on technology make us more lazy since it gives us so much more free time? One of the goals of technology is to make life “easier” and I think in many ways it has done that; but has it also made us a group of people without the same work ethic our parents or grandparents had, simply because technology encourages a lifestyle of ease?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying technology is bad. I’m really asking myself these questions while my kids are still at home and I have some time to make a difference in their lives. Should I be working harder? Should I be studying and working to gain knowledge? Should I be just “doing” whatever I can to spend time with my kids? Should I try to set an example to them to spend their time wisely? Or should I enjoy life and reduce the amount of stress in my life by letting technology “do its job” instead of placing a huge guilt trip on myself?

Of course I ask these questions after telling you I have been reading a book about a physicist. I write this as I am preparing for my day while working on a physics research project. But, I did watch a couple of hours of TV last night when I could have gone for a bike ride with one of the most amazing teenagers you will ever want to meet. On the one hand, I did do some house cleaning, but on the other hand there is still more to do. Of course I realize the house will always be there to clean.

So, how do you spend your time? Looking back, how would you spend your time differently? Should you make some changes to what you do? Should you make some changes to how your kids spend their time? Would we, as a society, be in a different place if our kids had less free time?

Thoughts? Comments?

thanks for reading,

jb