PBODME Resources

My last post got rather more responses than I expected, which is great. Some of them challenged how I think about using this framework with students, which is even better. I still like it, and I’ll still use it, but it was pointed out that I didn’t make it clear that this was only one of the tools that help students with practicals. I’ve blogged about the different aims of practical work before, and probably will again, but check out articles by @alomshaha for far more eloquent words than mine.

Possible Aims of Practical Work

• To enthuse – explosions and the wow factor
• To model and practise technical skills
• To collect data
• To boost appreciation of difficulties with data such as random errors and so improve experimental design
• To illustrate a scientific idea or principle clearly by removing distractions

As I’ve commented in the past, these are all useful aims as long as we are clear in our own minds why we are doing the practical. This might not be shared with students beforehand, but should be afterwards. (NB: I was marked down in a 30 minute observation because students failed to make ‘good progress’ during a practical. The observer had not appreciated that the point was for the kids to struggle and then, in later discussion, to share tactics and appreciate why the concept was hard to observe in school lab conditions.) Of course, we should also vary the kinds of practical work we do!

Responses to the post

Read the comments; my readers put it better than I could. For which many thanks; in a week when it feels like the only things I’ve achieved involve feeding the cats and a pike of marking as tall as my five year old, the feedback really helped. The only addition I’ll make is to quote @fnoschese:

@teachingofsci @bloom_growhow Check out ISLE for another similar framework: http://t.co/bDAgTqsbaC

— Frank Noschese (@fnoschese) February 25, 2014

I particularly like the second flowchart (IF/AND/THEN/THEREFORE), something I’ll be adapting over the weekend between decorating and getting another year closer to forty. Unfortunately I can’t copy it as an image so you’ll just have to follow the link.

My PBODME resources

This was originally going to be the only section of this post, but never mind. For your use and interest, hopefully:

• pbodme as ppt (print slides for a quick display)
• pbodme flowchart/student capability checklist as pdf

As ever, I’d value comments. Can I ask that if you have a useful link that you add a comment as well as tweeting me? I always worry I’m going to miss something, and that way it’s a proper conversation for everyone.

Also, a general appeal; if you use my materials, for general displays, CPD or with your own students, can you let me know? Always nice to point to wider impact of what I do, quite apart from giving me a nice warm glow. Feedback is the only thing us bloggers ask, after all…