Returning to the mirror: reflections on promoting constructivism in three educational contexts

Since the early 1980s educators have argued that reflection is an essential dimension of good pedagogical practice. This discussion of my attempt to support a constructivist approach to learning for three different groups of learners illustrates one effort to engage in such reflection. I analyze several assignments I have designed for differently positioned learners, all within the context of a liberal arts college in northeastern USA. Referring to the assignments I have developed in each context, I analyze the particular kinds of structures, challenges and supports I try to provide to learners, with the goal of surfacing the convictions I hold about learners' identities and capabilities. My intention is to identify underlying pedagogical principles that inform my practice across contexts, not only to make it clearer for myself and others what guides that practice but also, in an effort to acknowledge the evolving and interdependent nature of this work, to articulate the new challenges this analysis poses for me.     

一类广义对称约束条件下矩阵值函数的优化问题

运用分块矩阵的初等变换方法,分别讨论了Hermite反射矩阵和Hermite斜反射矩阵约束条件下矩阵值函数A-BXB＊的极大极小惯性问题,进而得到了相应的极值表达式.     

Summary of Development as a Reflective Practitioner

Reflection is considered crucial and widely used in educational setting to help teachers to question their teaching practice and promote their professional development.Be a reflective practitioner is very important both for inservice and preservice teachers.Through reflecting on routine teaching practices,teachers can identify the strengths and weaknesses of each session and make improvements upon the inadequacies so that to promote and enhance professional development and practice.In this article,a reflective teacher presents her developing process as a reflective practitioner which is encouraging and inspiring to provide other practitioners in the similar context with a different perspective and reference.     

关于反射光偏振态的探讨

讨论反射光偏振的理论依据是麦克斯韦电磁场理论,与介质的折射率、入射光的偏振态及入射角有关,注意相位的改变,然后依据菲涅耳公式来判断.     

教师教学观念转变的条件与策略

教师教学观念的转变绝不是线性的、简单的过程,而是一个非线性的、复杂的系统工程,它的转变依赖于一些客观和主观的条件。它的客观条件主要体现在:反思性教学文化的形成;校本教研制度的建立;考试评价改革的推进。它的主观条件主要体现在:批判精神的形成;教学理论素养的提高;思维方式的转换;原有教学观念与新教学观念的冲突。教师教学观念转变的策略主要体现在:"反思日记"制度化;参与"教育科研"习惯化;"教学理论学习"自觉化;"教学交流"经常化。     

Analytics-supported reflective assessment for 6th graders' knowledge building and data science practices: An exploratory study

Preparing data-literate citizens and supporting future generations to effectively work with data is challenging. Engaging students in Knowledge Building (KB) may be a promising way to respond to this challenge because it requires students to reflect on and direct their inquiry with the support of data. Informed by previous studies, this research explored how an analytics-supported reflective assessment (AsRA)-enhanced KB design influenced 6th graders' KB and data science practices in a science education setting. One intact class with 56 students participated in this study. The analysis of students' Knowledge Forum discourse showed the positive influences of the AsRA-enhanced KB design on students' development of KB and data science practices. Further analysis of different-performing groups revealed that the AsRA-enhanced KB design was accessible to all performing groups. These findings have important implications for teachers and researchers who aim to develop students' KB and data science practices, and general high-level collaborative inquiry skills.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Data use becomes increasingly important in the K-12 educational context.
• Little is known about how to scaffold students to develop data science practices.
• Knowledge Building (KB) and learning analytics-supported reflective assessment (AsRA) show premises in developing these practices.

What this paper adds

• AsRA-enhanced KB can help students improve KB and data science practices over time.
• AsRA-enhanced KB design benefits students of different-performing groups.
• AsRA-enhanced KB is accessible to elementary school students in science education.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Developing a collaborative and reflective culture helps students engage in collaborative inquiry.
• Pedagogical approaches and analytic tools can be developed to support students' data-driven decision-making in inquiry learning.