UTEP-UMCE News – Dr. Bill Robertson, Fulbright Scholar, UTEP Assistant Professor
Week Eighteen November 16 – November 22, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of November 16 – November 22 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Argentina Science Education Workshops
On Monday morning, November 17, I did a demonstration for a group of approximately 250 students and my demo was done on the physics of action science and included concepts in forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and simple machines. I performed for the group at the Colegio JJ de Urquiza, located opposite of the central plaza and established in 1850. I did the lecture and demonstration completely in Spanish. There was a lot of interest in the class as well as a large crowd that gathered that included both faculty and other students on the campus. The idea was to engage the students in a constructivist activity that would motivate them to work in physics and the concepts associated with their curriculum.
After a quick change, I went to the University of Concepción del Urugauy (UCU) and gave a workshop on the concept of the center of gravity and used a constructivist approach that centered on the aspects of engagement, exploration and explanation. The workshop was for 150 minutes and the physics faculty interacted with me in a brainstorm session and then viewed a small video clip of the use of the center of gravity in action sports. After this, I put students into groups of 3-4 members and had them do a hands-on activity on this concept using materials that are readily available in schools, such as cardboard, string, paper clips and pencils. After the activity, we had a discussion on the methods and the content and I finished with a short presentation on the constructivist method of teaching and learning.
On Monday afternoon, November 17, I did a demonstration for a group of approximately 250 students and my demo was done on the basics in physics of action science and included concepts in forces and simple machines. I performed for the group at the Escuela Normal M. Moreno, and I did the lecture and demonstration completely in Spanish. There was a lot of excitement in the group as well as a large crowd that gathered that included both faculty and other students on the campus.
After this and another quick change, I gave a workshop to approximately 50 teachers on the use of questioning strategies and inquiry demonstrations in science. I also had them do a hands-on activity, and we engaged in a group discussion on constructivist methods as well.
On Tuesday, November 18, I had a workshop with a group of supervisors and directors for schools on the ideas of Transformative Education, the use of Inquiry Science in the Classroom and the practical ways of being a constructivist in a traditional school setting. This was also the most academic of my workshops and lasted for 3 hours. I did engage the group in content presentations over items related to Problem-based learning, Action Science and Constructivist principles and applications. I also lead the group in an inquiry activity that focused on the use of simple machines in the construction of a catapult. The teams also engaged in a brief competition in this activity, which also demonstrated the differences of the constructivist classroom, with a student-centered approach, collaboration among teams, active learning, teacher facilitation and questioning as a basis for content discovery.
UMCE Survey Preparation
On Friday, November 21, I spent the day preparing for the final day of surveys with the students in Mechanics over the attitudes in science and computation. I also prepared materials for the data distribution in Excel and also to prepare for the statistical analysis that is needed to follow. My colleagues here have expressed a great interest in this information, as they have noted somewhat informally that the attitudes of students have changed, but are note sure if they have changed for the best. Also, the results of the content aspects of this will also be determining factors in seeing the state of change in UMCE over the use of technology in the facilitation and learning of concepts in physics.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
This week was by far the most intense and most independent time I have had as a Spanish speaker and educator here in South America. In addition to my work in UMCE, where I have developed cooperation and relationships with the faculty, staff and students, I was also placed in new environments in another country with people that I had never met, or only interacted with via email. I also was challenged to use seemingly all my abilities in mental, physical and bilingual aspects. In some ways, it truly was a final exam over my immersion process, and I think in many ways, I passed it well. In other terms, I think I can proceed and build on this experience and have to acknowledge that I have changed as a person and have in reality, increased my abilities to learn, but also to teach in Spanish.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Week Seventeen November 9 – November 15, 2008
UTEP-UMCE News – Dr. Bill Robertson, Fulbright Scholar, UTEP Assistant Professor
Week Seventeen November 9 – November 15, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of November 9 – November 15 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Motivational Demonstration of Action Science at Colegio
On Monday, November 20, I did a demonstration at Colegio Saint Gabriel's de Providencia here in Santiago as part of Prof. Raul Ilufi’s class in Physics. My demo was done on the physics of action science and included concepts in forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and simple machines. I performed for 2 groups of students, each group of approximately 75 students, and did the lecture and demonstration completely in Spanish. There was a lot of interest in the class as well as a large crowd that gathered that included both faculty and other students on the campus. The idea was to engage the students in a constructivist activity that would motivate them to work in physics and the concepts associated with their curriculum.
Meeting at US Embassy
On Monday, November 10, I attended a reception at the home of the US Ambassador, Paul E. Simons that was put on for a visit to Chile by a group of Representatives from the US House. The group included 8 representatives from California, New York, North Carolina, Indiana and Tennessee. It was interesting to talk with these leaders and also to hear their thoughts about the role of the US in its interactions with Chile in the coming years.
More on the visit:
http://santiago.usembassy.gov/OpenNews/asp/pagDefault.asp?argInstanciaId=2&argNoticiaId=4238
Argentina Science Education Workshops
On Wednesday, November 12, I left for Argentina in order to participate in a series of workshops in the southern, central and northern parts of the country. The invitation to participate I a series of different events came at the request of Fulbright Chile and the Ministry of Education in Argentina, who are engaged in the 2008 Year of Science in the country. The program was put together mainly through ProFOR (Programa de Formación y Capatación para el Sector Educativo), who established the agendas and made the final arrangements on locations. I worked directly with their offices to set up my materials and to establish the agenda for the workshops that would be held in Villa Angostura (near Baroloche in Patagonia), Buenos Aires (the capital city), and Concepción del Uruguay, in the providence of Entre Rios 4 hours north of the capital.
ProFOR Web Site
http://www.me.gov.ar/profor/
Fulbright Argentina Web Site
http://www.fulbright.edu.ar/esp/index.asp
Argentina Science Education Workshops – Villa Angostura
On Wednesday, November 12, I arrived in Villa Angostura in the afternoon after a flight to Buenos Aires, a transport to another airport, for domestic flights and the final flight to Baroloche, and then via bus to Villa Angostura. In this remote and beautiful setting, a group of Science education professors from the University of Buenos Aires had set up a weeklong workshop for students who were in programs to become science teachers, in the areas of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. The group also had a series of master teachers involves, and had participants from many locations, including Ushuaia, Mendocino and Buenos Aires.
That evening, I did a demonstration for the group and my demo was done on the physics of action science and included concepts in forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and simple machines. I performed for the group of approximately 50 students, and did the lecture and demonstration completely in Spanish. There was a lot of interest in the class as well as a large crowd that gathered that included both faculty and other students on the campus. The idea was to engage the students in a constructivist activity that would motivate them to work in physics and the concepts associated with their curriculum.
The next day, I gave a workshop on the concept of the center of gravity and used a constructivist approach that centered on the aspects of engagement, exploration and explanation. The workshop was for 90 minutes and the students interacted with me in a brainstorm session and then viewed a small video clip of the use of the center of gravity in action sports. After this, I put students into groups of 3-4 members and had them do a hands-on activity on this concept using materials that are readily available in schools, such as cardboard, string, paper clips and pencils. After the activity, we had a discussion on the methods and the content and I finished with a short presentation on the constructivist method of teaching and learning.
Argentina Science Education Meetings – Buenos Aires
On Friday, November 14, I returned to Buenos Aires with members of ProFOR and went immediately to their offices for a luncheon meeting with staff members from the Ministry of Education. This conversation centered on my ideas and work in science education and on the use of specific methods of teaching science to both student and adult learners. After this meeting, I went to the offices of Fulbright-Argentina where I met with the Director, Dr. Norma González, and we spoke about not only science education, but the Fulbright experience. She also was a Fulbright scholar who went from Argentina to the US to receive both her Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Fulbright-Argentina is celebrating their 50th year with their program and we discussed the impacts that this programs brings into the lives of its participants.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
I have been working hard on my Spanish and this week I continued with a veritable immersion in the areas of speaking, writing, listening and reading in Spanish. It was also a time of engaging in both technical and conversational language all the time, so there was a great need to think on my feet and to demonstrate my command of the language to my new colleagues. In this manner, I felt like I really have progressed in my abilities and this type of transition, from one language in immersion, to another at a different place, is a skill that I think I can further develop when I get back to UTEP:
Week Seventeen November 9 – November 15, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of November 9 – November 15 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Motivational Demonstration of Action Science at Colegio
On Monday, November 20, I did a demonstration at Colegio Saint Gabriel's de Providencia here in Santiago as part of Prof. Raul Ilufi’s class in Physics. My demo was done on the physics of action science and included concepts in forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and simple machines. I performed for 2 groups of students, each group of approximately 75 students, and did the lecture and demonstration completely in Spanish. There was a lot of interest in the class as well as a large crowd that gathered that included both faculty and other students on the campus. The idea was to engage the students in a constructivist activity that would motivate them to work in physics and the concepts associated with their curriculum.
Meeting at US Embassy
On Monday, November 10, I attended a reception at the home of the US Ambassador, Paul E. Simons that was put on for a visit to Chile by a group of Representatives from the US House. The group included 8 representatives from California, New York, North Carolina, Indiana and Tennessee. It was interesting to talk with these leaders and also to hear their thoughts about the role of the US in its interactions with Chile in the coming years.
More on the visit:
http://santiago.usembassy.gov/OpenNews/asp/pagDefault.asp?argInstanciaId=2&argNoticiaId=4238
Argentina Science Education Workshops
On Wednesday, November 12, I left for Argentina in order to participate in a series of workshops in the southern, central and northern parts of the country. The invitation to participate I a series of different events came at the request of Fulbright Chile and the Ministry of Education in Argentina, who are engaged in the 2008 Year of Science in the country. The program was put together mainly through ProFOR (Programa de Formación y Capatación para el Sector Educativo), who established the agendas and made the final arrangements on locations. I worked directly with their offices to set up my materials and to establish the agenda for the workshops that would be held in Villa Angostura (near Baroloche in Patagonia), Buenos Aires (the capital city), and Concepción del Uruguay, in the providence of Entre Rios 4 hours north of the capital.
ProFOR Web Site
http://www.me.gov.ar/profor/
Fulbright Argentina Web Site
http://www.fulbright.edu.ar/esp/index.asp
Argentina Science Education Workshops – Villa Angostura
On Wednesday, November 12, I arrived in Villa Angostura in the afternoon after a flight to Buenos Aires, a transport to another airport, for domestic flights and the final flight to Baroloche, and then via bus to Villa Angostura. In this remote and beautiful setting, a group of Science education professors from the University of Buenos Aires had set up a weeklong workshop for students who were in programs to become science teachers, in the areas of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. The group also had a series of master teachers involves, and had participants from many locations, including Ushuaia, Mendocino and Buenos Aires.
That evening, I did a demonstration for the group and my demo was done on the physics of action science and included concepts in forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and simple machines. I performed for the group of approximately 50 students, and did the lecture and demonstration completely in Spanish. There was a lot of interest in the class as well as a large crowd that gathered that included both faculty and other students on the campus. The idea was to engage the students in a constructivist activity that would motivate them to work in physics and the concepts associated with their curriculum.
The next day, I gave a workshop on the concept of the center of gravity and used a constructivist approach that centered on the aspects of engagement, exploration and explanation. The workshop was for 90 minutes and the students interacted with me in a brainstorm session and then viewed a small video clip of the use of the center of gravity in action sports. After this, I put students into groups of 3-4 members and had them do a hands-on activity on this concept using materials that are readily available in schools, such as cardboard, string, paper clips and pencils. After the activity, we had a discussion on the methods and the content and I finished with a short presentation on the constructivist method of teaching and learning.
Argentina Science Education Meetings – Buenos Aires
On Friday, November 14, I returned to Buenos Aires with members of ProFOR and went immediately to their offices for a luncheon meeting with staff members from the Ministry of Education. This conversation centered on my ideas and work in science education and on the use of specific methods of teaching science to both student and adult learners. After this meeting, I went to the offices of Fulbright-Argentina where I met with the Director, Dr. Norma González, and we spoke about not only science education, but the Fulbright experience. She also was a Fulbright scholar who went from Argentina to the US to receive both her Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Fulbright-Argentina is celebrating their 50th year with their program and we discussed the impacts that this programs brings into the lives of its participants.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
I have been working hard on my Spanish and this week I continued with a veritable immersion in the areas of speaking, writing, listening and reading in Spanish. It was also a time of engaging in both technical and conversational language all the time, so there was a great need to think on my feet and to demonstrate my command of the language to my new colleagues. In this manner, I felt like I really have progressed in my abilities and this type of transition, from one language in immersion, to another at a different place, is a skill that I think I can further develop when I get back to UTEP:
Week Sixteen November 2 – November 8, 2008
UTEP-UMCE News – Dr. Bill Robertson, Fulbright Scholar, UTEP Assistant Professor
Week Sixteen November 2 – November 8, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of November 2 – November 8 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Physics Instruction at Liceos
On Monday, November 3, I worked at the 2 local high schools implementing the physics project from la UMCE. The first school, Liceo Juan Antonio Ríos, has approximately 15 students in the project. The second school, Liceo Capitán de Corbete Pedro Gonzáles, has 2 sections of students, the first with approximately 30 students and the second with 35 students. This was the final meeting with the students at the liceos, and we administered our post tests in the areas of attitudes towards science, attitudes towards computers and physics content knowledge in the principles of motion.
The experience at the liceos has been invaluable for me in order to understand both the similarities and the differences in the educational settings and systems between the US and Chile. The main similarities I see are in the type of student that is in these schools and the students we serve in El Paso, especially in the areas with higher Spanish speaking populations. There is also a great economic divide in the educational settings for students throughout the city, something that is also mirrored in El Paso, and in many areas around the US. Finally, I think there is a great tension between the ideas of a constructivist framework for teaching and learning and managing the business of the school, both here and in the US. The struggle to implement a student-centered curriculum within a traditional classroom setting is ongoing as well.
Student Conference on Pedagogy in the Natural Sciences
On Wednesday, November 5, I went with Claudio Perez to attend and to give a presentation at a Science Education Conference for students studying to be teachers in the Natural Sciences. The main thrust of this event was to uncover concepts associated with constructivism and how this methodology can be implemented in the mostly traditional teaching climate found in Chilean schools. The conference was attended by upwards of 100 students primarily from the universities near Chillán and Concepción. The students are all involved in programs that will lead them to be educators, primarily science teachers in high schools in Chile. The students were assembled for a week long conference in order to improve their knowledge, to increase their abilities and to enlarge their networks with other students and participating faculty members.
I was fortunate enough to participate in the event and deliver a presentation entitled “¿Cómo set constructivista en base a una formación conductista?” with my colleague and fellow constructivist, Claudio Pérez. We gave a talk that focused on our experiences in science education and the use of specific methods and techniques that centered on practical applications in the classroom. In interacting with the students within the talk, at lunch and in subsequent informal discussions, I was given the unique opportunity to actually participate in a practical manner as both a teacher and a learner.
Data Analysis of Surveys
I have continued to work on the data from both the pre-surveys and post-surveys from the Liceos and still have to administer the post-surveys to the students in Mechanics here at UMCE, with I hope to do on November 24. This is also part of my work with the Fulbright US Scholars program, as my research study is to understand how this type of approach, integrating constructivist methods and technology into classrooms in Chile, impacts both attitudes and content understandings.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
I have been working on a proposal to submit to a science education group here in Santiago, Explora that would be a chance to implement a program in which both Action Science and the Mathematical Modeling of physics would be integrated into schools here in Santiago as part of a pilot program. This proposal and corresponding materials have all been drafted in Spanish and all meetings on the topics done in Spanish as well.
Additionally I have been preparing my materials for my upcoming series of workshops in Argentina, which are being done at the invitation of Fulbright-Argentina and the Ministry of Education in Argentina. The plan is to give a series of workshops for both students, future teachers, supervisors and university professors. It promises to be both challenging and engaging, but also a great chance to see if I can apply what I have learned here in a new and unique setting. In some ways, this is truly a critical thinking exercise, something I try and impart on my students with great regularity, and it is a good reminder to me to experience this in another language in order to understand the obstacles and work needed to accomplish in order to achieve new learning that hinges on analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Week Sixteen November 2 – November 8, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of November 2 – November 8 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Physics Instruction at Liceos
On Monday, November 3, I worked at the 2 local high schools implementing the physics project from la UMCE. The first school, Liceo Juan Antonio Ríos, has approximately 15 students in the project. The second school, Liceo Capitán de Corbete Pedro Gonzáles, has 2 sections of students, the first with approximately 30 students and the second with 35 students. This was the final meeting with the students at the liceos, and we administered our post tests in the areas of attitudes towards science, attitudes towards computers and physics content knowledge in the principles of motion.
The experience at the liceos has been invaluable for me in order to understand both the similarities and the differences in the educational settings and systems between the US and Chile. The main similarities I see are in the type of student that is in these schools and the students we serve in El Paso, especially in the areas with higher Spanish speaking populations. There is also a great economic divide in the educational settings for students throughout the city, something that is also mirrored in El Paso, and in many areas around the US. Finally, I think there is a great tension between the ideas of a constructivist framework for teaching and learning and managing the business of the school, both here and in the US. The struggle to implement a student-centered curriculum within a traditional classroom setting is ongoing as well.
Student Conference on Pedagogy in the Natural Sciences
On Wednesday, November 5, I went with Claudio Perez to attend and to give a presentation at a Science Education Conference for students studying to be teachers in the Natural Sciences. The main thrust of this event was to uncover concepts associated with constructivism and how this methodology can be implemented in the mostly traditional teaching climate found in Chilean schools. The conference was attended by upwards of 100 students primarily from the universities near Chillán and Concepción. The students are all involved in programs that will lead them to be educators, primarily science teachers in high schools in Chile. The students were assembled for a week long conference in order to improve their knowledge, to increase their abilities and to enlarge their networks with other students and participating faculty members.
I was fortunate enough to participate in the event and deliver a presentation entitled “¿Cómo set constructivista en base a una formación conductista?” with my colleague and fellow constructivist, Claudio Pérez. We gave a talk that focused on our experiences in science education and the use of specific methods and techniques that centered on practical applications in the classroom. In interacting with the students within the talk, at lunch and in subsequent informal discussions, I was given the unique opportunity to actually participate in a practical manner as both a teacher and a learner.
Data Analysis of Surveys
I have continued to work on the data from both the pre-surveys and post-surveys from the Liceos and still have to administer the post-surveys to the students in Mechanics here at UMCE, with I hope to do on November 24. This is also part of my work with the Fulbright US Scholars program, as my research study is to understand how this type of approach, integrating constructivist methods and technology into classrooms in Chile, impacts both attitudes and content understandings.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
I have been working on a proposal to submit to a science education group here in Santiago, Explora that would be a chance to implement a program in which both Action Science and the Mathematical Modeling of physics would be integrated into schools here in Santiago as part of a pilot program. This proposal and corresponding materials have all been drafted in Spanish and all meetings on the topics done in Spanish as well.
Additionally I have been preparing my materials for my upcoming series of workshops in Argentina, which are being done at the invitation of Fulbright-Argentina and the Ministry of Education in Argentina. The plan is to give a series of workshops for both students, future teachers, supervisors and university professors. It promises to be both challenging and engaging, but also a great chance to see if I can apply what I have learned here in a new and unique setting. In some ways, this is truly a critical thinking exercise, something I try and impart on my students with great regularity, and it is a good reminder to me to experience this in another language in order to understand the obstacles and work needed to accomplish in order to achieve new learning that hinges on analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Week Fifteen October 26 – November 1, 2008
UTEP-UMCE News – Dr. Bill Robertson, Fulbright Scholar, UTEP Assistant Professor
Week Fifteen October 26 – November 1, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of October 26 – November 1 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Physics Project Update
On Wednesday, October 29, I attended the regular physics project meeting and each group went through the progression of their classes. The main thrust at this time was the need for each team to share the various evaluation instruments they are using in class in the online platform of Moodle. There was also an animated discussion about the importance of using evidence to base decisions concerning classroom materials and methods. This is something that I find very interesting and is also something that we at UTEP have been actively engaged in through the Teachers for a New Era (TNE) program, which purports that decisions impacting change in schools and in educational programs must be documented and well supported with evidence.
At UMCE, the discussion seemed to center around the lack of engagement of students in the use of constructivist methods and that the use of technology was not actually being implemented across the entire curriculum. This is an important discussion here, as I believe the use of technology and distance learning strategies would be beneficial in the long run to the academic program here for a number of reasons. Primarily, to integrate the technology of physics tools, such as Data Studio or Modellus, would help students to see how these tools can help them to solve all sorts of problems, not merely those in a specific content area in physics. Also, if more online materials were utilized across the department, then if there was a change in the schedule or a closure of the school for some reason, the facilitation of the material could still take place in real time.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
I submitted an article to a science education magazine here in Chile, and the article I wrote, along with some colleagues at UTEP, focused on the trip I took to Antarctica with students last year. The main thrust of the article is on the overall impacts of the program on students as well as the availability of K-12 products on the IPY-ROAM Web site that can be used by all teachers and students. This is very important in Chile, which does have a claim to Antarctica and has a great scientific history that spans the ages. This effort I believe is also of great interest in the schools, and with the development of our products into Spanish in the upcoming year, more materials will be made available to our local areas and partner institutions, whether they be in the US or around the world.
Week Fifteen October 26 – November 1, 2008
The following is a summary of the activities that I have been engaged in during the week of October 26 – November 1 as they relate to the work I am doing here at UMCE as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.
Physics Project Update
On Wednesday, October 29, I attended the regular physics project meeting and each group went through the progression of their classes. The main thrust at this time was the need for each team to share the various evaluation instruments they are using in class in the online platform of Moodle. There was also an animated discussion about the importance of using evidence to base decisions concerning classroom materials and methods. This is something that I find very interesting and is also something that we at UTEP have been actively engaged in through the Teachers for a New Era (TNE) program, which purports that decisions impacting change in schools and in educational programs must be documented and well supported with evidence.
At UMCE, the discussion seemed to center around the lack of engagement of students in the use of constructivist methods and that the use of technology was not actually being implemented across the entire curriculum. This is an important discussion here, as I believe the use of technology and distance learning strategies would be beneficial in the long run to the academic program here for a number of reasons. Primarily, to integrate the technology of physics tools, such as Data Studio or Modellus, would help students to see how these tools can help them to solve all sorts of problems, not merely those in a specific content area in physics. Also, if more online materials were utilized across the department, then if there was a change in the schedule or a closure of the school for some reason, the facilitation of the material could still take place in real time.
Personal Transition to Work in Spanish
I submitted an article to a science education magazine here in Chile, and the article I wrote, along with some colleagues at UTEP, focused on the trip I took to Antarctica with students last year. The main thrust of the article is on the overall impacts of the program on students as well as the availability of K-12 products on the IPY-ROAM Web site that can be used by all teachers and students. This is very important in Chile, which does have a claim to Antarctica and has a great scientific history that spans the ages. This effort I believe is also of great interest in the schools, and with the development of our products into Spanish in the upcoming year, more materials will be made available to our local areas and partner institutions, whether they be in the US or around the world.
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