Guide
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The
structure of the workshops
The first workshop is designed
to help teachers to
plan and teach a trial lesson using a computer simulation or model. In
a second workshop they will evaluate this trial lesson, drawing on
research
findings. They will build on the experience of the trial lesson using
computer
models in order to plan more extended sequences of lessons within the
schemes
of work.
To support teachers’ in
planning the trial lesson,
in the first workshop they will:
review their current practice
on the use of computer
simulations and models;
-
learn more about the
curriculum innovation;
-
review some of the
research findings through 'stories'
about teachers' implementation of the innovation;
-
plan a trial lesson that
takes account of the aspects
above.
The activities in this
workshop are grouped into
the following sections:
To support them in evaluating
the trial lesson and
in further planning, in this workshop they will:
review and evaluate the trial
lesson;
-
learn more about research
work through examples of
case studies, relating these and their own experiences to the general
findings
of the research;
-
consider again the factors
that affect their planning
choices and review the potential of using computer simulations and
models.
The activities in this
workshop are grouped into
the following sections:
The following notes on each of
the sections give
additional information to the trainer on running the teacher
activities.
The activities themselves are accompanied by extensive notes addressed
to the teacher on the aims of each activity, background information and
rationale, and detailed instructions on what to do. These notes do not
repeat this information, and trainers should read the notes alongside
the
activities themselves. The purpose of these notes is to point to
specific
aspects of each activity that should be brought out in discussion. The
notes will refer at appropriate points to the Briefing
Sheets that trainers can draw on for additional information.
As far as possible,
activities have been designed
to be as independent as possible, in order that trainers can adapt and
select activities as appropriate to the interests and needs of
different
groups of teachers. Where activities do require earlier activities to
have
been done, then this is indicated in the notes below. In this set of
materials,
two topics are used to provide the context for parallel sets of
examples
in Section B ‘Learning about the innovation’. These topics are ‘Forces
and motion’ and ‘Electricity’. Relevant extracts from the National
Curriculum
which are helpful in identifying suitable areas to be modelled can be
found
in Briefing Sheet 4
‘‘Electricity’ and ‘Forces
and motion’ in the National Curriculum’. Trainers can chose
whether
to use both of the sets of example models, or to use one set and treat
the others as extension material. The time that is required to run the
workshops would depend on this choice, as well as the prior experience
of the teachers in using spreadsheets, particularly for this kind of
work.
For teachers with some experience, or if only one topic was used, each
of the first and second workshops should last about half a day. For
teachers
with less experience, and attempting both topics, the first workshop
would
require a whole day session or two half-day sessions, with another
half-day
for the second workshop.
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Teaching with computer models