Educating with SOS
SOS Docents are informal science teachers and although many of you may have formal teaching experience, still many of you don’t. You may find this section helpful for refreshing your practice in education facilitation and lining up your presentation with education standards in earth science.
Establish a Question-based, Brains-on Method of Audience Interaction
Permalink to Establish a Question-based, Brains-on Method of Audience InteractionGeneral rules for encouraging audience participation: Promote inquiry by asking thought-provoking questions, allow plenty of personal processing time, and break down the barriers between yourself and your audience by establishing a dialogue. The following techniques come directly from the Museum of Science and Industry of Chicago.
Use Question-based Facilitation
Permalink to Use Question-based FacilitationDocents ask questions that allow the guests to use the knowledge they already have and allows the docent to gauge the audience’s level of understanding.
Establish Dialogue
Permalink to Establish DialogueIn order to help establish a dialogue, the docent can ask questions from the beginning and continue to ask questions throughout out the program, rather than just stating the facts. Also, if you take the time to establish eye contact, your audience will feel more comfortable asking questions thus promoting dialogue and discussions.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Permalink to Use Positive ReinforcementAnswering questions and other participation by guests is encouraged by using positive reinforcement techniques like giving out stickers, high fives, or by simply saying, “Very good!”
Accept Answers and Redirect Wrong Answers in a Positive Manner
Permalink to Accept Answers and Redirect Wrong Answers in a Positive MannerEncourage participation by thanking and acknowledging all answers. If an answer is misguided, remain positive and redirect the guest to the correct content. Ask follow up questions to help clear up misunderstanding. Asking the visitor to explain why they think what they think is a great way to see the angle of their understanding or misconceptions. Sometimes, even if the answer is correct, you should ask for evidence and explanations.
Build on the Familiar
Permalink to Build on the FamiliarUse examples from everyday life and connect content to personal experience, including local geography and current events.
Use Wait Time
Permalink to Use Wait TimePause after asking a question to give the guests time to think about it and consider an answer. A good rule of thumb is to internally count to five before continuing. If working with a very young audience, wait until about half of their hands are raised before calling on someone.
For K-12, Refer to the National Science Education Standards
Permalink to For K-12, Refer to the National Science Education StandardsAlthough the venue you are teaching from is different than a formal education classroom, it can be helpful to browse the National Science Education Standards that are designed to incorporate the best practices to facilitate student learning.
Science Teaching Standards — (Ch. 3)
Permalink to Science Teaching Standards — (Ch. 3)Standard B: Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning. In doing this, teachers
- Focus and support inquiries while interacting with students
- Orchestrate discourse among students about scientific ideas
- Challenge students to accept and share responsibility for their own learning
- Recognize and respond to student diversity and encourage all students to participate fully in science learning
- Encourage and model the skills of scientific inquiry, as well as the curiosity, openness to new ideas and data, and skepticism that characterize science
Science Content Standards — (Ch. 6)
Permalink to Science Content Standards — (Ch. 6)Science as Inquiry Standards.
In the vision presented by the Standards, inquiry is a step beyond “science as a process,” in which students learn skills, such as observation, inference, and experimentation. The new vision includes the “processes of science” and requires that students combine processes and scientific knowledge as they use scientific reasoning and critical thinking to develop their understanding of science. Engaging students in inquiry helps students develop:
- Understanding of scientific concepts
- An appreciation of “how we know” what we know in science
- Understanding of the nature of science
- Skills necessary to become independent inquirers about the natural world
- The dispositions to use the skills, abilities, and attitudes associated with science
Earth and Space Science Standards
Permalink to Earth and Space Science StandardsLevels K–4
Permalink to Levels K–4- Properties of earth materials
- Objects in the sky
- Changes in earth and sky
Levels 5–8
Permalink to Levels 5–8- Structure of the earth system
- Earth’s history
- Earth in the solar system
Levels 9–12
Permalink to Levels 9–12- Energy in the earth system
- Geochemical cycles
- Origin and evolution of the earth system
- Origin and evolution of the universe