Editorial pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Model Engagement for Your Students Deanna M. Cullen* Science Department, Whitehall High School, Whitehall, Michigan 49461, United States ABSTRACT: Students must engage in their learning to develop a deep understanding of the content that we wish to share. Teachers and students alike can benefit when a teacher models their own engagement in professional development activities and research. This editorial introduces me as the new precollege associate editor online and invites readers to join the JCE precollege team in building a partner Web site significantly developed to address the needs of precollege chemistry teachers.
KEYWORDS: Elementary/Middle School Science, General Public, Public Understanding/Outreach, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning, Professional Development recently used JCE Classroom Activity #77, Modeling Dynamic Equilibrium with Coins,1 to introduce a unit on equilibrium to my general chemistry classes. Students in the second-hour class easily worked through the manipulative portion of the activity, moving a calculated number of coins from a reactant cup to the product cup and simultaneously moving a different calculated number of coins from the product cup to the reactant cup. Fourth-hour students also seemed to be working well, until Nick and Jake started asking for help. It took only a moment to realize that in an attempt to be more efficient, the boys were finding the difference of the number of coins to be moved so that they only needed to move one pile of coins in one direction. They were having difficulty with the follow-up questions. I reminded them of their responsibility to be engaged in the activity and follow every step. Until they did that, I would not answer any of their questions. Of course, when they followed the directions and modeled equilibrium as directed, Nick and Jake did not need my help to answer the questions and they were able to contribute to the classroom discussion that followed. Among the comments I heard as I monitored my students’ progress that day were these: “I like this. I get it now.” And, “This was fun.” To which came the response, “Yeah, I understand it and we didn’t have to sit and listen to lecture to figure it out.” I have always tried to engage my students in inquiry activities, but until recently, I did not feel competent to rely solely on the activity without including some traditional lecture in my lesson plan. When the opportunity to apply for the Target Inquiry (TI)2 program at Grand Valley State University came up, I almost missed it. I did not need to endure the rigor of another program that would not lead toward an advanced degree; I already had a master’s degree in educational technology. However, my interest in inquiry education compelled me to apply for a spot in the second cohort of
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© 2012 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
teachers. I began the two-and-one-half-year program in 2008. The intense professional development gave me the tools to more effectively engage my students, and my own excitement for my occupation has been recharged. Through the leadership of Ellen Yezierski and Debbie Herrington, the cohort completed a six-week research project in a specific field of chemistry at the beginning of the program and finished by writing an article about a larger research project relating to education. In the midst of those projects, we developed inquiry activities. Herrington, Luxford, and Yezierski have found3 [I]t appears that supplementing the RET [research experience for teachers] experience with a rigorous materials development experience can help teachers design activities that are significantly more aligned with proven, inquirybased strategies. My action research, based on an activity that I wrote to introduce a unit of electrochemistry, was recently published in an article in this Journal.4 Erica Jacobsen noted in a recent editorial why precollege teachers might not submit articles to the Journal.5 I can relate to all of those reasons, yet the experience is much more than it might appear, and well worth the effort. The benefits have not been just about me. How often do we have an opportunity to model research for our students? One outcome that I had not anticipated when I completed my action research was that I was modeling the engaged learning style that I encourage and expect from my students. I involved my students in the development of the electrochemistry activity and the research surrounding it. I gave them an opportunity to critique the work I had done. I made changes based upon their input. It was an awesome exercise in modeling research with Published: March 16, 2012 565
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed300138w | J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89, 565−566
Journal of Chemical Education
Editorial
(2) More information regarding the Target Inquiry professional development model, program implementation, and research study as well as teacher developed classroom materials can be found on the TI Web site: http://www.gvsu.edu/targetinquiry (accessed Mar 2012). (3) Herrington, D. G.; Luxford, K.; Yezierski, E. J. Target Inquiry: Helping Teachers Use a Research Experience To Transform Their Teaching Practices. J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89, 442−448. (4) Cullen, D. M.; Pentecost, T. C. A Model Approach to the Electrochemical Cell: An Inquiry Activity. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88 (11), 1562−1564. (5) Jacobsen, E. K. Become a Journal of Chemical Education Author. J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89 (1), 2−3.
them and for them. My involvement in the development and research surrounding inquiry activities has influenced my student’s attitudes toward my expectation that they engage more in their own learning. My engagement encourages their engagement. My involvement in TI has also encouraged me to become more involved in the global chemistry education community. That desire has led me to this new position as precollege associate editor online. I am excited and honored to have this opportunity to work with you and the JCE precollege team. I look forward to building relationships with other educators who share my passion for engaging students in chemistry. The position is especially exciting because we are treading on new ground. The Journal has embarked on a mission to develop a partner Web site with a large portion devoted to the precollege community. My main responsibility is to help organize and develop the content and function of this Web site. I hope that the Web site can provide the resources you require to align your curriculum and teaching to fit the ever-changing dynamics of chemistry education. We are planning to expand our methods of communication and provide innovative opportunities for you to engage and contribute. I invite you to be a part of the exciting plans we are developing for the precollege community. If you are already inspired and energized about what is going on in your classroom, I know you have something to contribute. If you are not, take the steps to become more engaged and share the journey with your students. I expect that you will realize that you do have contributions to make and that you will see a difference in the enthusiasm and engagement of your students. We all come from unique backgrounds that have shaped our teaching philosophy; here is a little bit about my background. I grew up on a small farm only a few miles from the “big” lake (Lake Michigan) in western Michigan with an engineer− teacher father and the ultimate homemaker for a mother. In between driving tractor and hauling hay, I played basketball and ran track at school. The majority of my teaching experience has been spent in chemistry and AP chemistry classes, but I have also taught classes in earth, environmental, life, and physical science, as well as biology, algebra I and II, and government at two private parochial schools, an adult high school program, and at Whitehall High School where I have been employed for the past 18 years. I have advised multiple student groups, sat on a plethora of committees, and coached both track and women’s golf. My husband and I were married 10 years ago. I had two children and he had three from previous marriages. We added one more child in 2003 to give us a family of eight living in the farmhouse that my great−great grandparents built in 1887. We have survived living with five teenagers at one time and we will be glad to have a break from the burden of college tuition before our youngest goes to college. I look forward to meeting and working with Journal readers and finding out what has shaped your philosophy and what drives you to work in this demanding occupation.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
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REFERENCES
(1) Bartholow, M. Modeling Dynamic Equilibrium with Coins. J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83 (1), 48A−48B. 566
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed300138w | J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89, 565−566
