Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.

09 Beliefs and Development Science is a process of interrogating ones own beliefs, constantly re-evaluating the best available evidence in hopes of approaching the truth. According to Prime and Miranda (2006), teachers beliefs, and in particular our beliefs about students, have a most telling effect on student outcomes. For the teacher interested in improving student learning, therefore, it is worth reflecting on ones philosophy of teaching. Over the course of this semester, my nascent theories of teaching have become grounded in practice and are beginning to develop into a genuine praxis of teaching. My own metacognitive abilities have developed considerably, and my reflections, driven by data collected in the course of action research, have become better-organized. Paolo Freire (1968) defines praxis as "reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it." That is the goal of my teaching, and I also believe that it accurately describes the scientific method. In fact, I consider praxis and action research to be related concepts also. Cochran-Smith and Lytle (1999) define action research as all forms of practitioner inquiry that involve systematic, intentional, and self-critical inquiry about ones work. Action research forms the foundation of my current reflection. Articles from the educational research literature, both theoretical and empirical, have deepened and broadened the scope of my beliefs, as have my conversations with colleagues. The beliefs that I articulated in January of this year still strike me as true, but I now have the added nuance of a semester of teaching authentically.1 Broadly, I believe that my teaching has become more thoughtful. This comes mostly from experience, from having had time to

Egner-Cicirello (2014).

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development experiment with different approaches to teaching, and crucially, from having monitored my growth as a teacher. I believe that I have a much more accurate picture of my own teaching style, and my shortcomings, than I did at the beginning of the semester. I still have a lot of room to grow in areas like differentiation and classroom management. Hopefully, I will continue to grow in these areas for a long time. By thoughtful, I mean that have spent an enormous amount of time this semester planning and revising lessons in response to feedback from professors, peers, mentors, and students. I have also spent significant time wrestling with the question of how to demonstrate that genuine learning is taking place. My thoughts about assessment are still evolving, every day. For instance, my cooperating mentor (CM) and I have talked extensively about the best way to prepare our students for the PSSA standardized test, employing a wide variety of strategies from direct instruction to guided inquiry. Students have engaged in activities, which I prefer to think of as performance-based assessments, from socio-scientific debates to kinesthetic modelling of systems. Ultimately, as you can read in my forthcoming inquiry portfolio website, I found that students standardized-test scores increased by the same amount whether they were taught according to a test-prep mentality or a multiple-intelligence pedagogy. In other words: multiple-intelligence instruction was just as good at raising student scores as traditional instruction, but no better. These results are of course preliminary, and will remain anecdotal and contingent upon our particular classroom context. Although this is not the outcome that I had hoped to find that teaching according to my beliefs would raise test scores more I take comfort for the reasons. Firstly, I was able to

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development design and critically interpret an action research project. To quote D. C. Phillips (2014), paraphrasing Karl Popper,

researchers must ensure that they do not focus their efforts on proving that they are right; they must not, in the terminology sometimes used in the educational methodology literature, adopt a confirmatory orientation. Popper argued that it is always possible to find some evidence that ones favored hypothesis is right, but this counts for little what is crucial is that one attempts to find evidence that it is wrong.2 To me, this suggests that my research was honest, thorough, and relatively objective. It indicates that I can engage meaningfully in the scientific process, which is useful for a science teacher. Secondly, I do not believe that standardized test scores are the only or the best way to measure student learning. They happen to be the metric by which my CM and our school are assessed most visibly and most immediately. They also happen to be fairly straightforward to quantify and study (obviously, this is related to the former). Just because my particular style of teaching does not appear to improve standardized test scores more than the control, does not exclude the possibility of other benefits. I believe there are many kinds of learning that standardized tests at least, the kind we have been accustomed to using do not measure. I wonder if standardized tests could be designed in such a way that they measure other kinds of learning, other kinds of intelligences. On the other hand, I am also wary that the ceaseless march of standardization may ultimately prove too sterile. If we believe that progress can be made in education only if we embrace something similar to the experimental models of physics, medicine, or agriculture, then to get these models to work in the real world requires us to
2

Phillips (2014).

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development constrain our educational activities so that they more closely match the research models we use to generate knowledge. We would need to, in other words, make the naturally occurring system more like the experimental system, a change that would require the simplification of natural learning environments.3 This brings me to my third point, which is that, even though my results are less than what I hoped to find, I still find them optimistic. It is affirming to conclude that multipleintelligence teaching does not detract from gains in student scores. Many teachers believe that the pressure associated with high-stakes testing means they cannot teach the way they would like to teach, that they have to teach to the test.4 My own research indicates that teaching the way I want to teach still helps students on standardized tests, every bit as much as traditional test preparation strategies do. In other words, my beliefs about teaching have so far led to demonstrably effective action via a cycle of praxis/action research/scientific inquiry, which continues to inform and reshape my beliefs. As I continue my journey into teaching, seeking employment in an urban district that will likely see its fair share of struggles, I intend to continue practicing this newfound metacognition. This will be more difficult without the support structure of a peer cohort like I have at GSE, so I hope to find a school community where collaboration, coaching, and continual development are priorities for all teachers. When possible, I also hope to communicate the value of metacognition to my students, and to further articulate the connections between selfcritical reflection and scientific literacy. I want to expand my repertoire of assessment strategies

3 4

Rudolph (2014). Volante (2004).

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development and the kinds of data that I collect to inform my teaching, and I will embrace opportunities to grow in the realms of differentiation and classroom management. The following table lists the beliefs I articulated at the beginning of this semester. As I wrote earlier, these have mostly not changed fundamentally. However, they have grown more complex and more thoroughly grounded in research and practice. In addition to recounting these beliefs, I also present a retrospective affirmation and a forward-thinking clarification in each realm.

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development Realm Purpose 82 days ago, I wrote that I believed: ...that all people deserve access to information and ways of thinking that will allow them to lead healthy, meaningful lives. by which I meant Public educators, and specifically science teachers, have an obligation to help children make sense of their surroundings so they can make good decisions for themselves and their communities. I am skeptical of the scientific-industrial complex, but optimistic about the potential of science and scientists to work for social justice. I now believe Presenting students with decisions to be made - for example, in a town hall format5 is an excellent way to teach science content and processes, in addition to teaching about the role of science in society. I wonder how I will find the right balance of socio-scientific debates with other kinds of teaching.

Science in society

Growth mindsets and differentiation

...that science is socially constructed, and that the role of scientific "progress" throughout human history has been complex and not always benevolent. However, I believe that science can AND SHOULD be used to make life better for people, and especially to study and address issues of social justice. I am particularly interested in environmental justice. I consider underrepresentation of women and people of color in science to be a social justice issue. ...that all students are capable of appreciating and taking part in science at some level, and that all students are capable of growing and

I will have to make a lot of compromises in this realm of my beliefs: to acquire grant funding for projects and extra-curricular activities, might I have to inadvertently advertise some corporation or military entity6? What would I say to a student who wants to study science in order to pursue a career that reproduces structures of imperialist capital?

No student is incapable of learning science, and that negative stereotypes about

There really is a wide range of cognitive abilities and levels of interest in any classroom. That every child can grow and there is a way to reach every child, but that

5 6

Yoon (2005). Leibovic (2014).

Culturallyrelevant teaching

learning immensely (even in 45minute periods!)7 when they have teachers who are patient, understanding, articulate, curious, humble, authoritative but attuned to students' interest, strict but loving8, objective but not blind to individual circumstances, and perhaps most importantly, reflective of their own practice. However, I also believe that an hour-long period would be preferable :) ...that students learn best when science is relevant to their own lives AND to their interests, which may or may not be directly related to their lived experiences.

certain groups of students are unacceptable.

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development differentiation will be a lifelong challenge. That in every situation, there are opportunity costs associated with working harder to genuinely reach students at the margins. That children will pass through my classroom, especially for the first few years, without taking away much that they will remember or use.

Science is fundamentally fascinating - in fact, that fascination is the root of scientific inquiry. Anything that a student is interested in can become a subject of scientific research or reasoning. That there are plenty of opportunities to connect science to pop culture (songs, books, movies, TV) and everyday life9. That teachers do not always take advantage of this,

There are lots of ways to arouse students' interest in a topic, and that it's 90% about presentation. I also believe that you can't always predict what will interest a student! I wonder whether this philosophy will get me into trouble - will I pigeonhole students and only teach them about the things they've already been exposed to? How will I know when it's appropriate to teach something that doesn't seem immediately relevant? I also wonder, once students are interested, how to make sure they REMEMBER information. Hooking students

7 8

Dweck (2010). Wilson & Corbett (2001). 9 Leibovic (2014).

myself included, and that teaching students requires studying their culture.

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development is relatively easy, but lasting understanding is more elusive.10

More ranting on the nature of science.

...that science is, and must be taught as, both a collection of hierarchically-organized facts and a process for generating new knowledge. I believe that process skills and scientific ways of thinking are more important as life-skills, but I recognize that 1) standardized tests are mostly geared towards knowledge of scientific facts, and that 2) no one can or should be expected to "discover all of science for themselves." Sometimes we have to rely on the word of others. "Nullius in verbia" may be the motto of the Royal Academy of Science, but Newton knew that he was standing on the shoulders of giants. (On that note, Newton would have done better to acknowledge that he also stood on the backs of laborers, merchants,

This is a bit wordy, but I meant something like, "it's valuable for students to do science and discover patterns on their own, but it's also unreasonable to think they can or should do this all the time."

Again, I wonder about the balance between science-as-facts and science-as-skill. I also wonder about the best way to organize facts hierarchically. What kinds of graphic organizers have other teachers used successfully? How should text-based information be organized/presented?

10

Tomlinson & McTighe (2006).

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development amateurs, and indigenous people, but that's another conversation...)11 Planning for ...that materials-based science is understanding useful, but that materials must be used thoughtfully for learning to become meaningful, and "activities" are not a substitute for understanding.

Inquiry and authentic assessment

I had already seen, at this point in my studentteaching, plenty of elaborate and wellintentioned activities fall short of meeting learning goals because they were merely "recess" and not structured or guided inquiry. ...that the word "inquiry" has become In January, I was tired of a buzzword, and that inquiry reading about inquiry (and without sufficient scaffolding is a other methods of teaching recipe for disaster. science) and really eager to get up in front of the classroom and try out all the different strategies I had been reading about for months.

For activities to be effective, they need (1) a curricular context in which they fit, (2) good presentation and scaffolding, (3) ample time for reflection, and (4) frequent occasions for revisiting, or at least reminding, throughout the course of the year.12

Good teaching, and especially good science teaching, must be driven by some kind of data - but what kind of data is a very open question.13 I wonder what would happen to student learning if teachers were held accountable, not by a standardized test score, but on the basis of whether they incorporate some kind of data (from their own research/that of others) to modify their teaching from year to year.

11 12

Conner (2005). Leibovic (2014). 13 Phillips (2014).

Pedagogy

...that there is a place for direct instruction in the science classroom, but that students learn best when DI is contextualized, visualizable and multi-modal, and dynamic and entertaining.

Again, this has to do with a balance in pedagogical approaches. Just as there is no single scientific method, I believe there is no single right way to teach (or to understand) science. This is especially true at the middle school level, before the specialization of secondary education really sets in.

Self-reflection

...that my greatest struggle this semester as a student-teacher is learning how to differentiate instruction to 185 different students, particularly English-language learners and students with learning disabilities.

I was terrified at the transition to Baldi from my previous placement, a small, homogeneous school by comparison. That I felt fairly confident in my ability to communicate science content to "the average student" (who of course does not exist), but recognized that teaching "diverse learners" was an

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development I have found that, when I hit upon a subject that students have lots of questions about, direct instruction can be a very effective way to answer and pose thought-provoking questions. In fact, the results of my inquiry project indicate that direct instruction can be every bit as impactful as more studentcentered approaches, at least when it comes to scores on standardized tests. In this sense, my experience agrees with that of Goodnough (2001), which suggests that "curriculum teaching" is associated with qualitative improvements in student and teacher learning, but not with improvements that have been quantified by a test (yet).14 This is still a struggle, and will continue to be. However, I think I grew a lot in this realm this semester, particularly with regard to students with learning disabilities. To be honest, I still do not have very much experience with English-language learners, save a handful from my classroom this semester, all of whom spoke Spanish (which I speak reasonably well) and none of whom were beginning English-learners. I also wonder how I will be able to identify students' special needs without a mentor teacher to guide me - a mentor teacher, it should be mentioned, who already had a

14

Volante (2004).

Looking forward

...that I am extremely fortunate to be learning how to teach at a school like Baldi, where students are *generally* peaceful, obedient, respectful, and curious. Most of my students also possess a sufficient degree of comfort and prior knowledge in reading, writing, and mathematics to engage with science content in a meaningful way.

area that I could grow a lot. There are plenty of schools in Philadelphia with fewer resources, less-supportive mentors, harsher administration, and harder-to-reach students.

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development semester's worth of experience with these particular students before I arrived. I still believe this is true. I wonder if, in my next placement, I would rather work at a school more like Baldi, or one that is more typically urban. I wonder if I have the classroom management skills necessary to work in a school that is not as well-run and as behaviorally tame as Baldi I doubt it very much, at this point in my career.

Jonathan Leibovic 2014.04.09 Beliefs and Development References Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. (1999). The teacher research movement: A decade later. Educational Researcher, 28(7), 1525. Conner, C.D. (2005). A Peoples History of Science. New York: Nation Books. Dweck, C.S. (2010). Mind-sets and equitable education. Principal Leadership, 10(5): 26-29. Egner-Cicirello, G. (2014). Personal communication. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder. Goodnough, K. (2001). Multiple intelligences theory: A framework for personalizing science curricula. School Science and Mathematics, 101(4), 180-193. Leibovic, J.S. (2014). Personal observation. Phillips, D.C. (2014). Research in the hard sciences, and in very hard softer domains. Educational Researcher, 43(1): 9-11. Prime, G. & Miranda, R. (2006). Urban public high school teachers' beliefs about science learner characteristics: Implications for curriculum. Urban Education, 41(5), 506-532. Rudolph, J.L. (2014). Why understanding science matters: The IES research guidelines as a case in point. Educational Researcher, 43(1): 15-18. Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids. 1st edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Volante, L. (2004). Teaching to the test: What every educator and policy-maker should know. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, no. 35. Wilson, B.L. & Corbett, H.D. (2001). Chapter 4: The Teachers Students Wanted. In Listening to Urban Kids. Buffalo: SUNY Press. Yoon, S. (2005). Motivating the unmotivated: Relevance and empowerment through a town hall debate (Account 7). In S. Alsop, L. Bencze & E. Pedretti (Eds.), Analysing Exemplary Science Teaching: Theoretical Lenses and a Spectrum of Possibilities for Practice, (pp. 53-62). Buckingham: Open University Press.