At Leasowes Community College in Dudley, outside Birmingham, the
absolute antithesis of the eight-minute lesson is being hailed as the way
forward. Here, classes can last up to five or six days.
Students are immersed in a single subject, allowing them to complete practice,
theory and coursework in a single block, and – so the theory goes – gain a
deeper, more fundamental understanding of the topic. The corridors of this
1,200-roll school are papered with signs bearing stirring mottos such as
success is a journey, not a destination, and Albert Camus's dictum you
cannot create experience, you must undergo it.
David Wetzel on 05 Mar 10The Scientific Method, as taught in schools, is a false process and a oversimplification of the way scientists actually work, along with missing the point of how to conduct scientific investigations. A real understanding of the Nature of Science comes from student personal experience, using simple problem-solving processes that can be discussed and analyzed. Using the Nature of Science as process for investigating problems helps eliminate many common misconceptions students have about science facts.
