My reading matter for the trip to the NSTA Portland conference is How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, Expanded Edition, (National Academy Press, 2000) and a fantasy novel, Dragonsbane by by Barbara Hambly (Del Rey, 1987). Both works relate how students (people) have preconceptions about how the world is supposed to be, and that incorrect ones get in the way of building correct understanding. This idea is important to teachers who want to introduce new concepts and information…and to witches who want to convince a court noble that dragonslayers may not resemble their description in an epic song.
How People Learn emphasizes that teachers need to be aware of their students’ existing understanding of a topic and give them ways to challenge that understanding to build an expanded understanding or be able to replace any incorrect preconceptions. As an early childhood educator I need this book to help me avoid creating or supporting misconceptions in children’s ideas about science.
Good reads, both!
Peggy