Nature of Science

Reading the article on the nature of science really got me thinking about my own teaching style. My initial style was basic the traditional style and try to feed all of the required knowledge to students. I planned on accomplishing this by focusing on student-centered instruction. I can still approach teaching in a student-centered fashion, but this article has a few points that revised my thinking.

First, discussing the limitations of experiments is a good idea. I never thought about this issue in the past, but I can see the benefits of doing so. There are so many variables in the natural world and experiments just can't account for all of them. Knowing the limitations, one can predict or pinpoint the expected results and what not to expect. Therefore the interpretation of the results can be accurate. The second point that the article discusses is having students attempt to recreate experiences that initial scientist experience. If students can recount the similar thought pattern, then potential end up with the same conclusions. Even in the first conclusions are wrong at first, it still gives students a sense of accomplishment. The ultimate goal is to reshape their thought process to figure out the correct outcome of the experiment. The last point is facilitating connections between students and the real world. I always knew that this was important, but more important than learning content? After a bit of thought, I really do think that making connections is one of the top goals. If the connections are presents students can relate and develop an interest in the subject. With relations and interest present anything about the subject could be learned.

The nature of science is putting understanding to the mysteries of the world. I love it! Learning how things work is so fascinating. The three points described will help me introduce connections and interest to future students. After reading this article, I brain started stirring with new ideas and revised current ideas. I guess this is what personal development feels like.