Of the four core academic subjects, science education suffers most from a lack of ambition about its own relevance. We explore how science education could become more relevant—and why it matters for all of us.
In education, critical thinking is a popular idea but an elusive reality. We discuss the steps we take to achieve critical thinking in our classrooms, including selecting powerful concepts and sources, making connections between the classroom and the world, using discussion to deepen thinking, and finally, moving from isolated concepts to the bigger picture.
Why are we learning this? It’s the most commonly asked question in classrooms.
When asked, teachers generally reach for an instrumental answer. There isn’t always one in easy grasp, but it’s the reflex.
Today we consider a different, deeper ‘why’ thanks to help from Margaret Atwood. In the 2004 Kesterton Lecture at the Carleton School of Journalism, Atwood does what great writers do best: reveals a deep truth that both makes me feel something and makes me want to be a better person.
A typical two-hour online workshop is just that: a single two-hour session. There may be breakout rooms or a bit of reading for pre-work, but not a lot of actual work gets done. We discuss what we do instead to create half a dozen learning opportunities from a single workshop, including pre-work, multiple rounds of iteration on work products, feedback from peers and instructors, and “extension sessions.”
We’ve found that although it takes work to create rigorous, engaging, community-building classes online, it’s entirely possible if you intentionally design for it. We discuss the three holy grail components we include in our classes to make the most of class time: community, conversation, and collaborative critique.
