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Learning Physics by Helping Others Author(s): Michael Franzblau Source: The Science Teacher , September 2011, Vol. 78, No. 6, MOTIVATING AND ENGAGING STUDENTS: TEACHING TODAY'S TEENAGERS (September 2011), pp. 65-67 Published by: National Science Teachers Association Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24148370 JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Science Teacher This content downloaded from 86.59.13.237 on Tue, 15 Jun 2021 11:14:28 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Why it works who cancan mirror mirror write?" write?" I have I have never never what what they they are are doing. doing. They They are are visual- visual Why it works had aa studentstudent whowho could could do do so so at at the the izing izing how how the the letter letter looks looks forward forward and andMirror Mirror writing writing asks asks students students to lookto look beginning of the activity.activity. I1 thinkthink thisthis isis backward.backward. I tellI tell students students that that it's goodit's goodat everyday at everyday things things from froma different a different mostly because they've nevernever thoughtthought toto look look at at ideas ideas and and problems problems from from perspective. perspective. It also It alsoencourages encourages them them to to about doing doing it. it. I tell I tell them them they they can learn can differentlearn different perspectives. perspectives. try something try something out of out the of ordinary.the ordinary. As As to mirrormirror write,write, andand that that it's it's very very easy. easy. In In the the final final demonstration, demonstration, I write I write a teacher, a teacher, you you have have the the ability ability to introto intro I then inviteinvite studentsstudents toto try, try, and and normally normally with with my my right right hand hand and and mir- mir duce duce your your students students to tonew new and and chal chal ask themthem toto shareshare what what they they are are think- think ror ror write write with with my my left left at theat the same same time time lenging lenging learning learning experiences. experiences. When When ing aboutabout whenwhen mirrormirror writing writing with with (Figure (Figure 3A). 3A). I then I then mirror mirror write write with with ever ever my mystudents students are arestruggling struggling with with their dominantdominant hands. hands. Most Most students students my my right right and and write write normally normally with with my mya newa new science science concept, concept, I remind I remind them them reflect thatthat it it is is a avery very different different pro- pro left left at theat thesame same time time (Figure (Figure 3B). This 3B). of This the of mirror the mirror writing writing experience. experience. I ask I ask cess compared toto howhow theythey normally normally is iseasier easier than than it soundsit sounds and and looks, looks, but butthem them how how they they got got better better at mirrorat mirror write—the lettersletters dodo notnot start, start, stop, stop, or or itit doesdoes getget some some disbelieving disbelieving looks looks writing, writing, and andthey they always always say: say: "By "By prac prac attach to to one one another another in familiar in familiar ways. fromways. students. from students. tiring." Then ticing." I ask Thenhow I theyask how will they make will make Students findfind theythey needneed toto visualize visualize Throughout Throughout the school the school year, year, I have I havethis new this science new science concept concept their their own, own, and and what aa letterletter lookslooks likelike in in reverse reverse and and students students continue continue to practice to practice mirror mirror their reply their is replythe same: is the "By same: practicing!" "By practicing!" how itit attaches attaches to tothe the next next letter. letter. writing. writing. On someOn some exit exitsurveys, surveys, I en I en "The next step," I tell students, "is"is toto courage courage them them to to answer answer questions questions this this Deena Deena S. Harper S. Harper (deena_harper@tamu [deena_harper@tamu mirror writewrite inin cursivecursive with with your your non- non way. way. I alsoI also use use mirror mirror writing writing for foran- ancommerce.edu) commerce.edu) is an isassistant an assistant professor professor dominant hand."hand." II demonstratedemonstrate thisthis nouncements nouncements or assignmentsor assignments that that stay stay at Texas at Texas A&M A&M University University in Commerce.in Commerce. (Figure 2B) 2B) and and then then challenge challenge them them on the on whiteboard. the whiteboard. Students Students catch catch on to on to Reference to trytry it,it, too. too. I Imention mention that that when when they they why why I doI do this—they this—they know know they they have have to to write likelike this, this, they they are are going going beyond beyond take take extra extra care care to readto read and and understand understand National National Research Research Council Council (NRC). (NRC). 1996. 1996. the obvious,obvious, and and really really thinking thinking about aboutthe message. the message. National science education National science standards. education standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. figureFIGURE 3a 3A I ■ WritingWriting with dominant handwith while mirror dominant writing with hand while mirror writing with nondominant.nondominant. Learning Physics Learning Physics by by Helping Others I recently came outout ofof retireretire ment to teachteach atat thethe samesame schoolschool I left almost 2020 yearsyears ago.ago. II missed teaching physicsphysics andand was looking forward toto anan excitexcit ing and challenging yearyear ahead.ahead. FIGUREFIGURE 3B^ ÎB H 'I ' But I was unsure how I would WritingWriting with nondominant with nondominanthand motivate mywhile students: They mirror had writing hand with while mirror writing with dominant. already lost two physics teachers that year, and I was to become their third in as many months. At the school where I taught, every student takes one of four physics courses: Advanced Placement B or C, Regents, or September 2011 65 This content downloaded from 86.59.13.237 on Tue, 15 Jun 2021 11:14:28 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms ¥ Idea Bank Conceptual. GuidanceGuidance counselors counselors ♦ be distributed ♦ be distributed to the targetto the targetpopula- popula sessment, including sessment, lab experiments,including lab experiments, place studentsstudents in in these these courses courses ac ac- tion by tion a nonprofitby a nonprofit or nongovern-or nongovern quizzes, quizzes, and tests, and 1 was tests, confident I was confident cording to to their their academic academic abilities, abilities, mental mental organization organization (NGO) (NGO) with with that students that students understood understood each of each of and manymany inin Conceptual Conceptual Physics Physics a successful a successful track track record.record. these principles these at theprinciples level required, at the level required. resentresent being beingplaced there. placed The teach there. The teach- We held three We bake held three sales bake in sales March in March ersers work work hard to hardkeep these to students keep these Students students researched Students several years researched and April. several By May, years we had and raised April. By May, we had raised interestedinterested and involved, and but involved, it's always but of Tech it's Award always winners of Tech(see "On Award enough winners money to(see purchase "On enough equip money to purchase equip anan uphill uphill battle. battle.For my students, For losmy students, the web"), los- who theuse technology web"), who in mentuse fortechnology seven nut shellers. in mentWe sent for seven nut shellers. We sent inging their their first two first teachers two only teachersmade creativeonly madeways to creativebenefit society. ways After to thebenefit money society. to the Full After Belly Project, the money to the Full Belly Project, mattersmatters worse. worse. finding dozens finding of potential dozens ofdevices, potential and devices, the organizationand the organization purchased purchased the the In anticipationanticipation of of this this problem, problem, students I students I chose one chose that metone mostthat met equipment most equipment and shipped and it toshipped peanut it to peanut created a real-worlda real-world physics physics project of projecttheir of their criteria: criteria: the universal the universal nut farmers nut farmers in Chilombe, in Chilombe, Malawi. We Malawi. also We also I hopedhoped wouldwould engage engage and and excite excite sheller—a my my sheller—a low-tech, low-tech, inexpensive inexpensive included aincluded small video a camerasmall and video in camera and in students. II introducedintroduced the the project project peanut-shelling with with peanut-shelling machine. machine. June, June, we received we received a "thank ayou" "thank video you" video a simplesimple question: question: Did Did they they want want toWe Welearned—to to learned—to our amazement— our amazement— in return. in Our return. nut shellers Our are nut now shellers are now learn physicsphysics while while improving improving lives that lives in 500 that in million 500 million people people in 100 in coun 100benefiting coun- benefiting several thousand several people thousand people a distantdistant country?country? This This immediately immediately tries depend tries depend on peanuts on peanuts for their forin Malawi.

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