Where should the emphasis be in using terminology

This is a very good "must read" article. It points out "hidden misconceptions" and careless phrases used by teachers that exist during the teaching and learning process in the life cycle of ... See More

This is a very good "must read" article. It points out "hidden misconceptions" and careless phrases used by teachers that exist during the teaching and learning process in the life cycle of a butterfly. It points out that what the teacher sees and conveys is not always what the student interprets. It talks about placing less emphasis on using terminology for labeling purposes and placing more emphasis on using terminology to develop explanations of what is happening during each stage in a butterflies life cycle. This article is very welll written and will help teachers elicit evidence -based explanations.

Formative Assessment & Constructing Explanations

WOW! This makes perfect sense to me. Conceptual understanding is so much more than using the correct science vocabulary and labeling an illustration. The article makes a strong connection to... See More

WOW! This makes perfect sense to me. Conceptual understanding is so much more than using the correct science vocabulary and labeling an illustration. The article makes a strong connection to the research which can help teacher understand where the disconnect occurs and therefore adjust their instruction. I keep reflecting on how important it is for our students to understand what makes something a "living" thing. I am hoping to find a group of students who will be studying butterflies next autumn, so I can administer this probe. I am wondering if after students have engaged in the study of the life cycle of the butterfly if they could tell the story of the life of the butterfly rather then labeling a diagram?. In order to tell the story , students would have to construct an explanation for each of the stages of the life cycle. If you teach the life cycle of butterflies, I highly recommend this article. It will give you something to think about. it certainly got me thinking!