VISION

Vision and the Scientific Habit of Mind

SUMMARY OF 5-day TEACHER WORKSHOP
October 26-30, 1998

Introduction:
Defining and understanding your educational philosophy. Building consensus on a team's educational philosophy: in terms of a) Humanistic philosophy; b) Social Reconstructionist philosophy; c) Mechanistic philosophy; d) Academic philosophy.

Doing interdisciplinary thematic teaching:
Identify the validity and suitability of a given theme with respect to: a) importance within each subject; b) mutual benefit to all subjects; c) ability to transcend subject boundaries; d) contribution to broader educational outcomes; e) applicability throughout; f) capacity to encourage creativity, and motivate students to take responsibility for their own learning; g) promotion of higher-order thought processes; h) attention to diversity.

Integrating technology and the World Wide Web in the Classroom.
Learning to use the concept of hypertext, developing research strategies in critical web-surfing, evaluating the quality of Web sites, using the Web for Virtual Field Trips and for building virtual partnerships.

Addressing the practical issues of program implementation: Taking care of the details throughout the program: a) materials - books, games, software; b) storage of materials; c) budget; d) schedules, teamwork, fieldtrips; e) coordination with administration, community, parents.

Discussing organizational plans for interdisciplinary program implementation:
a) multiple intelligences; b) sequence of instruction; c) roles & responsibilities of teachers and students; d) planning time, formative and summative evaluation; e) Mental Warm-Up activities.
 

Visit to Science in American Life & related exhibits at Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Photographing, videotaping, gathering materials.
Participating in the hands-on utilization of materials:
(Both at Hands-on-Science Center and school) Make the program relevant to each student by exploring and analyzing toys, games, and software through Prismaticum to see how such objects can be used to teach school subjects (math, science, language arts, socials studies, art, music) in and out of the classroom.

Sample toys, games, and software from educational toy store and help students combine scientific and rational methods of deliberation, analysis and synthesis with familiar objects so they may become self-motivated investigators and effective lifelong learners. Search for right questions to ask as well as discover the best possible answers. Figure out how things work: Use books, toys, games, models, CD-ROMS, Internet; museum photos, slides, exhibits; school & library resources, businesses, experts, parents, government support. Observe, analyze, interpret, report. Translate with the arts (scrapbook, collages, music).

Discussing with community participants
(businesspeople, parents, government representatives) how inventions and discoveries affect their daily life.

Participating teachers from the sister cities of Caen (France) and Helsingborg (SWEDEN) with those from Alexandria, Virginia (USA) --- celebrating Halloween and a successful end of Stage 1 of the "Vision" project.

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