Language and Learning Science

Students in an English classroom read novels, poems, and plays. They do not often read science texts because most English texts focus on fiction.

This study looked at the problems students have with reading science texts. There is a disconnect between understanding in English class and understanding in Science class. The problem lies in the vocabulary.

The vocabulary and sentence structure of a novel is different from that of a science article. The researchers used Word Genereation to help bridge that gap. This program inserts scientific vocabulary into high interest texts.

This program gives students the opportunity to learn vocabulary that they would not normally read. This gives them the opportunity to learn the vocabulary in an organic way.

Application
Word Generation is available for free to schools. Teachers could also make a more concerted effort to teach students how to read science texts. By creating texts that contain science vocabulary.

About Education Application

For years I taught based on whatever seemed like a good idea. If something was interesting or new I would try it. Really, I would try anything if I thought it would help my student's learn. This led to many different strategies that might or might not have worked. There is no way for me to ever know.

I was searching for that magic bullet that would pierce apathy and ignorance to instill knowledge and understanding in my students. I would bounce from strategy to strategy looking for the one that would give my students success. I wanted something that would reach all my students.

Then I remembered a professor telling us that teaching is an art and a science. We often focus on the art of teaching. We forget that what we do is also a science. It is the science of the mind. It is psychology.

Why search blindly for the strategy that will help students learn. Why not look at the mind itself and how it works. Then we would have the tools we need to understand it. Then we could teach it.

That is the purpose of this blog. I am trying to find research that applies to learning and looking at how it can be applied in the classroom. In short, using science to educate.