Grand opening event to be held

charlestowne2 (anonymous) says...

It is always nice to see school dedicated to math and science. But if the picture in the Post and Courier of a science lab is indicative of all the labs, I am extremely disappointed. The style of straight line lab stations with all students facing the front of the room went out of use years ago. That is a teacher centered arrangement. It might as well be a lecture hall. This arrangement allows for little student-student interaction and limited teacher-student interaction. Has Co Operative learning not found its way to Charleston yet? Besides limiting student interactions, this arrangement is an inefficient use of space. Where is the floor space to run cars or marbles along the floors? Where a ramps to be set up and distances measured? A better arraignment is to have lab stations in groups of 4 this allows for a 1-2-4 system. Students are responsible for their own work but work with a partner. They also can work in a group of 4 to help each other during the activity. This encourages student interaction. The teacher can react with 4 students at a time if necessary. There is more flexibility in activities. Students can work singly, in pairs or in fours. There is more open floor space to be used for other activities and it allows a more efficient flow for teacher, students, and equipment.
In my 40 years as a middle school science teacher, I have worked in all kinds of science room arraignments. The best were the ones that gave me the most flexibility to arrange the room to the needs of the activities. The worst were fixed arrangements which limited what could be done. And the every worst was a teacher centered approach with all the students fixed in lines facing a demonstration table.

August 24, 2009 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )